Allspice
Allspice
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Myrtaceae
Genus:	Pimenta
Species:	P. dioica
Binomial name
Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.

Allspice (also called Jamaica pepper, Kurundu, Myrtle pepper, pimento, allspice berries, or newspice) is a spice which is the dried unripe fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant, a tree native to the West Indies, southern Mexico and Central America. The tree Pimenta dioica is from the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), and it is very valued for its berries. The allspice was named because the flavor of the berry is like a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It is used very much in baking, mostly for making mincemeat and mixed pickling spice. It was discovered first by the early Spanish explorers, who mistook it for a type of pepper.

Allspice is the only spice grown in the Western Hemisphere. But after that, the wild trees were cut down to get the berries and only a few allspice are left. There are many plantations in Mexico and Central America, too. However, the best allspice comes from Jamaica where the weather and soil are best for the berries.