Allspice, Pimento, Jamaica Pepper

The poivre de la Jamaïque, or toute-épice of the French Islands, the pimienta de Jamaica or pimienta gorda of the Spanish-speaking islands, is the dark-brown berry of an evergreen tree, which the Spaniards found growing all over Jamaica when they first arrived in the Caribbean. When dried, the berries, which closely resemble peppercorns, have the combined flavour of nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. The Spaniards were no botanists and seem to have called everything pimienta, or pepper. The allspice tree is a bay, belonging to the myrtle family. Allspice is available wherever spices are sold.