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Friday, August 23, 2013

Allspice is a spice made from the dried berries . . . .


Allspice is a spice made from the dried berries . . . .
Allspice (Pimenta dioica) was discovered by Christopher Columbus on the island of Jamaica during his second voyage to the New World. In other words it is . .. In the culinary arts, Allspice is a spice made from the dried berries of a plant known as Pimenta dioica. A member of the pimento family, allspice is used in Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American cuisines, among others. 
The Allspice is not a combination of various spices, rather, it is a single spice. In Jamaica it is also called pimento. Of all the Caribbean countries, allspice is most widely used in Jamaica. It is
a key ingredient to many savory and sweet dishes and an integral ingredient in Jerk. Allspice is so called because the flavor and aroma have notes of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Mistaken at first by the Spanish for black peppercorns due to their size and roundness, allspice can be used whole, crushed or ground. It is not only the berries themselves that are used in the Caribbean but also the leaves and the wood. 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.
Allspice is one of the most important ingredients of Caribbean cuisine. It is used in Caribbean jerk seasoning.
Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meat is dry-rubbed or wet marinated with a very hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice.
The term jerk spice (also often commonly known as Jamaican jerk spice) refers to a spice rub. The word jerk refers to both the spice rub and to the particular cooking technique.
Spice rub is any mixture of ground spices that is made for the purpose of being rubbed on raw food before the food is cooked.
Allspice is also indispensable in Middle Eastern cuisine.
In Greek cooking, allspice is used in stews, tomato sauces for pasta, red sauces, and marinades for meats, and fish.
Allspice can be substituted for cloves in many recipes. OR
Substitute 1 teaspoon of allspice, with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and a pinch of ground nutmeg.

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