Learning about Spices What is a spice? Why were spices important? Sources of spices Perfumes and Incenses  Use of spices as aphrodisiacs Use of spices as medicines Culinary herbs A spice timeline Table of Spices Allspice (Pimento) Anise Black Pepper Cardamom Cassia Chile Pepper Chocolate Cinnamon Clove Coriander (Cilantro) Cumin Dill Fennel Fenugreek Frankincense and Myrrh Galangal Garlic Ginger Horseradish Licorice Mustard Nutmeg and Mace Onion Saffron Sugar Sumac Tamarind Turmeric Vanilla Contacts and Acknowledgments

Common Name ALLSPICE (PIMENTO) Click image to enlarge Genus Species Pimenta dioica Family Myrtaceae Origin West Indies and Central America Cultivated Jamaica, Cuba, Lesser Antilles, Trinidad, Mexico, Honduras                     Description This native plant of the West Indies was thought by the Spanish explorers to be a pepper (pimienta); the name was corrupted to pimento, and also lives on in the other name for allspice, “Jamaican pepper”. The berries of the tree do resemble peppercorns, but they are variously described as having a mixed spicy aroma suggestive of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, juniper and pepper; hence the name allspice. See a list of spices by Taste and Hotness. Useful Parts The berries have been used in pickling and in condiments, and are especially used with meats. A form of allspice cured meat was known in the Caribbean as boucan, and European sailors who relied on this staple were called buccaneers. Caribbean cooking utilizes allspice in many dishes; it is of limited popularity elsewhere. Medicinal Properties Allspice is used in toiletries and liqueurs, and it used to be added to flannel to make a plaster for treating neuralgia or rheumatism. The eugenol content (which is more characteristic of cloves) can provide a mild analgesic effect. See chemicals in spices. Historical View “Both pimento and the oil possess aromatic, carminative, and stimulant properties. The action of pimento is similar to that of cloves, and it may therefore be employed for the same purposes; thus to relieve flatulence, check vomiting, and as an adjunct to other medicines to cover their nauseous taste, and to prevent griping, etc.” Bentley, Robert and Henry Trimen. Medicinal Plants; being descriptions with original figures of the principal plants employed in medicine and an account of the characters, properties, and uses of their parts and products of medicinal value. London, Churchill, 1880. (WZ 295 B556m 1880) Click image to enlarge

Spice Exhibit URL: http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm

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