Allspice

Allspice – an evergreen tree of family Myrtaceous, in height the reaching 6-12 meters. Leaves are elongated and ovoid, twirled at the edges, with dot pieces of iron. Inflorescences are small, white, collected in clustery umbrellas. Tree fruits at first have green color, and when maturing become red. Inside two-three cameras are located, is in each of which on one seed of black-brown color.

The tree loves the limy and bauxite soil that creates certain difficulties at its cultivation. The plant begins to fructify only for the seventh year of life. Fruits collect immature as in a ripe look they quickly lose the aroma and as spice are not of value. Dry them in special furnaces or in the sun therefore they get a granular surface and rounded shape. From one tree it is possible to reap a crop to 75 kg of fruits. Diameter of fruits makes about 5 mm.

History

In Europe allspice is called Columbus's plant as he found it. Now the plant is also called "the Jamaican pepper".

As seasoning the plant began to be used in Europe at the end of the 17th century. It quickly gained popularity and began to be in demand because of the specific aroma. In comparison with exotic seasonings already known at that time allspice represented something special and unusual. In the Czech Republic, for example, he and was nicknamed – "new seasoning". And in England dried fruits of pepper called "English".

Aroma of pepper is associated with mustard, a carnation, cinnamon, muscat nut, black pepper therefore it is called by "all spice", that is "universal seasoning".

The homeland of a plant is India, and also Central and South America. Frantsisko Fernández, the French scientist, during the period from 1571 to 1577 traveled around Mexico at the request of the king Philip II and faced this plant in the Mexican state of Tabasco. Therefore it nicknamed a plant of "Piper tabasci". There he learned that Aztecs used this seasoning together with vanilla for aroma giving to chocolate drink.

In a wild look the plant grows in the Southern Mexico, on the islands of West Indies, in Venezuela, Costa Rica. Cultivate it in Indonesia, Mexico, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Haiti and Cuba. The main producer of allspice is Jamaica today.

In 1925 the largest crop of allspice – 6 thousand tons was reaped (usually in a year collect no more than 4,5 thousand tons).

Structure of allspice

In 100 g of pepper 8,46 g of water, 21,6 g of cellulose, 4,65 g of ashes contain; vitamins: And, B1, B2, B6, C; mineral substances: selenium, copper, zinc, manganese, iron, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium.

As a part of allspice there are essential oils of 3-5%, tannins, acute fat oil, pitches.

As a part of essential oil eugenol, karyophyllene, cineol and фелландрон were found.

Use of allspice in cookery

In cookery allspice is often used as replacement to black. Generally, it is hot spice which is undesirable for abusing. This spice is one of the making curry components. Add it to cakes, liqueurs, cookies. If to season with allspice fat sauce, then it will turn out not only very tasty, but also will have refined aroma. This spice is added to the most various dishes: spinach, fried fish, jelly, soups, fish salads, pudding, fermented cucumbers, marinade.

The game will be to the taste to all if its tax in the sauce made according to such recipe: to add black pepper, salt, flour, onions, a dried peel of a lemon to broth and to cook on weak fire, periodically stirring slowly. Then sauce is ready to add several peas of allspice and red wine –.

Any hostess does not do without allspice at house conservation, adding it to the brines and marinades intended for salting and pickling of vegetables, especially cucumbers, tomatoes, bush pumpkins and vegetable marrows.

Pepper in the alcoholic beverage industry found application. To them flavor fish canned food, a salty herring, firm cheeses. In a ground look it is added to various sauces and mustard. Perfectly allspice is combined with various desserts, for example, with a plum pudding or fruit compote. In a powdery look it is added in sausage also by confectionery.

And tea with allspice is very useful from a diarrhea. It is also necessary to emphasize that berries of pepper and essence apply in the perfumery, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry.

Useful properties of allspice

In addition to excellent tastes, allspice also bears advantage for all organism. It contains a large amount of useful substances therefore it is widely applied in traditional medicine. So, for example, it gained distribution at treatment of pinching of a backbone and nerves. At the same time pepper grains at first are boiled, and later are pounded in powder. Also welded peas of pepper use at rheumatic diseases.

The essential oils which are a part of pepper give to the person additional energy, a charge of forces and cheerfulness. Also essential oil is a natural antiseptic agent.

Contraindications

At the excessive use of allspice emergence of allergic reactions is possible.