Every housewife in the kitchen has allspice. It is widely used for cooking a wide variety of dishes, and it has a lot of positive properties, which many are not aware of. In this article, we will consider in detail the history of this type of spices, its positive and negative qualities, as well as methods of use in the culinary economy.
Brief Description of Pepper
Allspice is an evergreen plant (tree) that represents the Myrtle family. Plant height can be from 6 to 12 meters. The leaves are egg-shaped, long, twisted around the edges. Inflorescences are small, white in color, similar to racemose umbrellas. The fruits of the plant are initially green, and when ripen, they become red. Inside each fruit, two or three small chambers are placed, each of which contains inside only one seed of black or brown color.
It is very difficult to grow allspice on its own, because it prefers to grow in calcareous-bauxite soil. The tree bears fruit only seven years after planting. You need to have time to collect them before they are ripe. Ripe they do not have the same flavor and become invaluable as a spice. You need to dry the fruits in a special oven or in the sun, due to which there appears a granular appearance known to everyone and roundness. One such tree gives about 75 kg of crop. The diameter of the fruit of the tree is about 5 millimeters.
Spice History
Columbus plant - Europeans call it black allspice in honor of its discoverer. The plant has a lot of names. One of the most famous is the Jamaican pepper. In Europe, it began to be used as a spice only by the end of the 17th century. Thanks to its non-standard smell, it quickly gained fame and became very popular.
Allspice is a spice that was special and unusual at that time compared to other seasonings known to people. The Czechs called it "new seasoning." The English called pepper "English." The spice has a mixed aroma found in mustard, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. That is why it is called all spice, which translates as "universal seasoning."
The country from which allspice came to us is India. Around the period from 1571 to 1577, F. Fernandez was traveling in Mexico. There, the scientist first saw this plant in the state of Mexico called Tabasco. After that, the pepper was called Piper tabasci. The scientist also learned that the ancient Aztecs used this type of spice so that chocolate drinks gained refined fragrant notes. Today, Jamaica is the main producer and supplier of this famous seasoning.
Pepper composition
100 grams of this fragrant spice contains:
- Water - 8.46 grams.
- Fiber - 21.6 grams.
- Ashes - 4.65 grams.
- Vitamins (A, B1, B6, C and many others).
Allspice in its composition contains substances such as selenium, copper, manganese. This seasoning contains a considerable amount of iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium. Spice includes about 5% of essential oils, as well as a variety of tannins, fatty oils.
Cooking Application
In cooking, allspice is used as a substitute for black pepper. In general, it is a hot seasoning, the abuse of which negatively affects human health. It is part of the curry seasoning, and is also a component of cakes, liquors, cookies. You can use allspice in making greasy sauce. It will give special flavor notes, as well as an exquisite aroma.
Virtually no dish is complete without this spice. Allspice can be found in spinach, fried fish, jelly, soup, salads, pudding, marinades, pickled foods. Anyone will appreciate the meat cooked with a delicious sauce. The sauce recipe is this: add flour, onion, a little black pepper, salt to the broth and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally. After that, add a little red wine and a few peas of allspice. The sauce is ready!
Home canning also needs allspice. It is contained in brines, marinades, with the help of which vegetables are salted and pickled (cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, squash). The distillery industry also could not do without this type of spices. In addition, pepper acts as a flavoring of canned fish, salted herring, hard cheeses. Ground pepper is found in various sauces and mustard. It is also added to desserts, such as creamy pudding or fruit compote. The confectionery industry, as well as sausages, also cannot do without ground allspice. And if you add it to tea, you get a great remedy for indigestion.
In addition, pepper berries are used in perfumes, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Useful properties of allspice
Allspice has a number of positive properties and is widely used for medical purposes. If you cook pepper grains and then grind, then rheumatism can be cured. It is used as a component in various ointments, which are used to treat various nerve pinches in the spine.
Essential oils in the composition of allspice help regulate the digestive processes in the body, eliminate constipation, relieve bloating and abdominal pain, and also have an energetic, antiseptic effect.
Drinking tea with allspice can improve digestion and cure indigestion. From bloating, pigment oil in the composition of pepper will help.
Indian traditional medicine is also full of various recipes to improve health and cure stomach diseases. In addition, the Indians believed that pepper has the magical properties of an aphrodisiac, if you add it to cocoa.
Allspice Harm
Despite the many positive qualities, allspice has some disadvantages. The most important of them is the manifestation of allergic reactions. But such an outcome is possible in people suffering from individual intolerance to the product. For the rest, just remember that allspice is a specific seasoning, which should not be abused.
So, we examined such a type of seasoning as allspice, options for its use in cooking, as well as positive and negative qualities. This spice is very popular, and no hostess can do without it.