NC Unit Herb of the Month...
Allspice, Pimenta dioica
ALLSPICE IN SAVORY DISHES
I have long used allspice in desserts, but never thought about its place in savory dishes. I had a few things to learn. First, I have always purchased ground allspice and rarely use the entire jar, replacing it from time to time. I should buy some whole allspice berries as well. They are dried, of course, and add a little spicy warmth to slow-cooking stews and soups (remove them before serving). They generally appear in pickles and sauerkraut, and can be added to other pickled dishes, including beets, onions, and even green beans or carrots. While pickling, also put in a bay leaf or two, black peppercorns and some mustard seeds. The whole berries are also found in recipes for spiced cider. In Cincinnati, they add ground cinnamon and ground allspice to their famed chili. Try it in your spaghetti or meatloaf. Put a few whole berries in beef or pork roast, removing before serving. According to McCormick, the ground spice is "more intense than whole berries." They also suggest thyme and ginger as good complementary spices for savory dishes. SPICY AUTUMN NUTS 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg (freshly grated is best) 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 egg whites 3 tablespoons honey 2 cups walnut halves, unsalted 2 cups pecans halves, unsalted 2 cups cashews, unsalted ½ cup pumpkin seeds, unsalted ½ cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
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Allspice, Pimenta dioica Around the winter holidays we search through our herb and spice cupboard for the jar of Allspice that has been waiting, unused. A member of the family Myrtaceae, consisting of about 3000 woody species growing mostly in the tropics, includes the genus Pimenta. Allspice is a tree indigenous to the West Indies and is the only spice native to the New World, especially Jamaica. Spanish explorers “discovered” the spice in the late 1400s (some giving credit to Christopher Columbus), naming it Pimenta because of the similarity of the dried drupes to peppercorns—the Spanish word for pepper being pimienta. By the early 1700s it was popular around the world as a substitute for black pepper, which had become expensive. As the price of black pepper declined, the use of Allspice subsided and by the end of WWII, it was no longer widely used. The war and development took a toll on the populations of Pimenta dioica In Jamaica, but it has recovered and still provides income and a spice in demand across the globe. The appeal of Allspice is its combination of flavors most often described as a blend nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. It is common in pickling spices; in marinades for fish, beef, lamb, ham; and in curry dishes. If you can find the whole drupes, add two or three to a pot of soup (remove before eating); add a sprinkle of ground allspice to vegetables, apple pie, blueberry pie, chocolate dishes, and spice cake. Go easy with it, as too much can be overpowering. The plant has a broad range of aromatic and medicinal compounds that show antibacterial, hypotensive, anti-neuralgic and analgesic properties. Recent studies have shown two of the known compounds isolated from allspice, Eugenol and Gallic acid, have selective antiproliferative and anti-tumor properties on human cancer cells and their animal models. It is a spice worth knowing more about, and using more often. Get creative—try the cake recipe below—maybe with a cup of wassail with allspice added! Enjoy the holidays! Katherine Schlosser BETH’S SPICE CAKE 1 cup butter 2 cups sugar 4 large eggs 1 ½ cups applesauce 3 cups sifted cake flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoons ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 2 squares unsweetened chocolate Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and applesauce. Sift flour, soda, and spices together; add gradually to the butter mixture. Melt chocolate over hot water and add to cake batter. Makes 3 9-inch layers. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. You may bake in a Bundt pan or loaf pans, but add a few more minutes baking time. Mocha Icing 1 box confectioner’s sugar 3 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 tablespoon butter, melted 1/4 cup coffee Put sugar into a large bowl and stir in the cocoa powder. Gradually blend in the melted butter and coffee, adding more coffee if needed until the right spreading consistency. Decorate with walnut halves. References Gibbs. W. M. (1909). Spices and How to Know Them. Matthews, Northrup Works, Buffalo, NY. Hayes, Elizabeth S. (1961). Herbs, Flavors and Spices. Faber and Faber, London. Lowenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back (1974), The Complete Book of Herbs and Spices. David & Charles, North Pomfret, VT. Zhang, L., & Lokeshwar, B. L. (2012). Medicinal properties of the Jamaican pepper plant Pimenta dioica and Allspice. Current drug targets, 13(14), 1900–1906. https://doi.org/10.2174/138945012804545641 |