Jamaica Pimento
The Jamaica allspice or pimento berries are actually
the fruit grown on the allspice
tree, which is a native tree of
Jamaica and also found in some
places in Mexico and Central
America. There are several
countries in South East Asia
where they grow allspice, but it
is normally presumed that the
finest quality fruit will come
from the cultivation of Jamaica
pimento or allspice.
Most Jamaicans will refer to
this as pimento, but you will
hear additional names such as
English Spice, Jamaica pepper,
Myrtle pepper and clove pepper.
At the time when the Spanish
first stumbled upon the
berries on the island, these
people thought they were
peppercorns and as a result they
referred to them as "pimienta",
which is actually the Spanish
word is given to pepper.
The aroma of the allspice fruit
is believed to have influenced
the name. Most individuals
believed it possess a fragrance,
which is a combination of
several culinary spices such as
ginger, cloves, cinnamon
and nutmeg. The ground allspice
is widely used in cooking
recipes to add flavor to foods
like the Indian curry, cakes,
puddings, fruit pies, cobblers
and meats, especially the
popular Jamaican jerk.
The allspice and cloves is very
comparable in taste and one
could certainly be utilized for
the other in cooking recipes and
for medicinal uses. A large
number of the chefs and cooks in
Jamaica will agree
that it is best when the berries
are purchase whole and then
ground to the potency needed.
A few individuals opt for
sprinkling the freshly ground
berries on their meals,
particularly the hot cereals
like oatmeal. So, this can be
used in dishes other than for
seasoning and is usually taken
this
way to benefit from medicinal
components of the fruit while
eating.
The allspice berries tend to be
deemed by most as a good herbal
treatment for different
ailments, such as poor blood
circulation, tired muscles and
stiff joints. You will also find
a high level of the
chemical substance known as
Eugenol and Tannins, which are
actually ingredients for binding
the proteins throughout the
body. The Jamaica allspice is
also utilized as a paste in
order to soothe and
temporarily alleviate toothache
and also as a mouthwash. It will
be the mixture of the Jamaican
pimento or allspice leaves which
is utilized for treating liver
problems such as jaundice,
diarrhea, ulcers and
other skin conditions. There are
also products available with the
allspice berries in capsules,
but the pregnant women are
generally advised not to take
the spice in this format.
This cultivation of Jamaica
pimento or allspice is done
throughout the areas of
Manchester, St Elizabeth,
Trelawny and St Ann. The
documented life of this fruit is
said to be 7 to 29 degrees with
a yearly
precipitation of about 0.3 to
4.6 meters and the soil pH
around 4.3 to 8.7. The plants
are sensitive to cold and
normally grow better in a
well-drained, silt loam or sandy
soil. The plantings will be set
up
by transplanting and seeding and
the blossoms generally occur 3
months following planting.
The warm and dry climate in
Jamaica is desirable for the
ripening of the pimento fruit
and this is generally picked
with hands when it is ready.
Throughout Jamaica the pimento
or allspice berries will be
left in the sun to dry, but
other places like United States
and Europe will dry the berries
using artificial methods.
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