a bit of botanical information about allspice
description
Allspice is the dried, unripe berries of a large evergreen tree of the Myrtaceae
family, native to the Caribbean area. The leaves are large and leathery, about 8
inches long by 2 inches wide. The fruits are about 0.33 inch diameter, near
globose, produced in clusters of a dozen or more at or near the terminals of
branches. It is a drupe, with 1 or 2 seeds.
common names
& nomenclature
The spice derives its name from the Portuguese pimenta, Spanish pimiento =
pepper, which was given it from its resemblance to peppercorns. It is
commonly known as Allspice because it smells and tastes like a combination
of cloves, juniper berries, cinnamon, and pepper.
Also known as:
pimento, jamaica pepper, pimienta, myrtle pepper, newspice, and pepper clover