| Latin Name : | Pimenta dioica |
| English Name : | Allspice, piment |
| French Name : | Toutes épices, Poivre ou piment de la Jamaïque |
| Family : | Myrtaceae |
| Origin : | Mexico, Madagascar |
History and Origin
Allspice, also called Jamaica Pepper, grows in tropical regions such as West Asia, Réunion Island, Madagascar and the tropical regions of South America (Jamaica, Venezuela). Allspice is dioecious, which means that male and female trees grow separately. Creole cuisine makes a wide use of the spice, and that is why it is found in many gardens. During the flowering period, the plant is covered with clusters of white flowers. Its fruit, a small spherical bay, is sometimes called “quatre-épices”, because of its smell and flavor reminding ginger, nutmeg, clove and pepper. Fruits, fully grown, are dried in the sun and acquire a reddish-brown color.
On the therapeutic level, the chemical composition of the essential oil makes allspice really close to clove in terms of properties. All spice is hence used for its carminative and anti-infectious properties by the people who cultivate it. But the plant is mainly used for cooking. In some countries, the leaf is used in the smoking of meat.