Allspice--My kitchen Herb of the Week

Herb of the WEEK:

Allspice









(Pimenta officinalis or P. dioica)






Quality's are; prosperity, healing, and luck




Gender; Masculine

Planet; Mars

Elements; Fire




Colors;

Gold, Copper - prosperity

Pale Blue, Red - healing

Green - luck







Allspice-

Allspice (Pimento Diocia, also known as Jamaica Pepper) is a tropical evergreen tree of the myrtle family, and is native to the West Indies and Central America. It is valued for it's berries, the source of a highly aromatic spice. Allspice was so named because the flavor of the dried berry resembles a combination of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Jamaican Allspice has been considered superior because it has a higher oil content and better appearance and flavor than any other.

Magickal Uses:

Allspice is a good herb for Money, Luck and Healing spells and charms. It is very vitalizing, and gives added determination and energy. Don't confuse this plant with "Carolina Allspice" which is an entirely different flora.

Medicinal and Other Uses:

Allspice has been used in folk medicine as a poultice to relieve the pain of arthritis for, in fact, allspice does contain tannins that are mildly anaesthetic. (They can actually irritate the skin of some if they are in direct contact with it) Allspice berries have a long history in Caribbean folk healing. Jamaicans drink hot Allspice tea for colds, menstrual cramps and upset stomach. Costa Ricans use it to treat indigestion, flatulence and diabetes. Cubans consider it a refreshing tonic, and Guatemalans apply crushed berries to bruises and joint and muscle pains. (Most of these uses have been confirmed by modern science) Allspice owes its medicinal actions to eugenol, a chemical constituent of its oil. (Dentists use eugenol as a local anesthetic for teeth and gums, and the chemical is an ingredient in the over-the-counter toothache remedies Numzident and Benzodent) For toothache, apply allspice oil directly to the tooth, one drop at a time, using a cotton swab. Take care not to swallow it. Powdered allspice adds a great flavor to foods, but it's highly concentrated oil should never be swallowed! (As little as one teaspoon can cause nausea, vomiting and even convulsions) For a medicinal tea, use one to two teaspoons of allspice powder per cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 to 20 minutes and strain. Drink up to three cups a day. It is also used in aromatherapy.


Allspice is the dried fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant. The fruit are picked when green and unripe and are traditionally dried in the sun. When dry, the fruit are brown and resemble large brown peppercorns. The whole fruit have a longer shelf life than the powdered product and produce a more aromatic product when freshly ground before use.




Fresh leaves are used where available. They are similar in texture to bay leaves and are thus infused during cooking and then removed before serving. Unlike bay leaves, they lose much flavour when dried and stored, so do not figure in commerce. The leaves and wood are often used for smoking meats where allspice is a local crop. Allspice can also be found in essential oil form.

Uses
Allspice is one of the most important ingredients of Caribbean cuisine. It is used in Caribbean jerk seasoning(the wood is used to smoke jerk in Jamaica, although the spice is a good substitute), in moles, and inpickling; it is also an ingredient in commercial sausage preparations and curry powders. Allspice is also indispensable in Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly in the Levant, where it is used to flavour a variety of stews and meat dishes. In Palestinian cuisine, for example, many main dishes call for allspice as the sole spice added for flavouring. In America, it is used mostly in desserts, but it is also responsible for giving Cincinnati-style chili its distinctive aroma and flavour. Allspice is commonly used in Great Britain, and appears in many dishes, including cakes. Even in many countries where allspice is not very popular in the household, as in Germany, it is used in large amounts by commercial sausage makers. It is a main flavour used in barbecue sauces.[citation needed] In the West Indies, an allspice liqueur called "pimento dram" is produced, and a sweet liqueur called mirto is made in Sardinia.




Allspice has also been used as a deodorant. Volatile oils found in the plant contain eugenol, a weak antimicrobial agent




A pea-sized berry from the evergreen pimiento tree. The name "pimiento tree" has nothing to do with the red sweet pepper known as pimento which is used in stuffed olives, etc. Christopher Columbus discovered allspice in the Caribbean while he was seeking pepper. As he had never actually seen real pepper, he thought allspice was it. When Columbus brought it back to Spain, it got the name "pimienta," which is Spanish for pepper. The name allspice comes from the fact that the flavor tastes like a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Jamaica provides most of the world's supply, though allspice is native to the West Indies and South America.

Ingredient

Season: available year-round

How to store: In a cool dark place for 6 months.

Matches well with: beef, beets, cabbage, carrots, corned beef, fruit pies, game, grains, lamb, meats, onions, pumpkin, rabbit, soups, spinach, squash, stews, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips

Substitutions: 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon + 1/2 tsp ground cloves = 1 tsp ground allspice; ground cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in equal amounts

Read more: <a href="http://www.food.com/library/allspice-161?oc=linkback">http://www.food.com/library/allspice-161?oc=linkback</a>