Allspice

Allspice is a member of the myrtle family. It smells like a combination of spices including cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg.

Dried Allspice berries resemble large brown peppercorns. Unripe berries are harvested and sun dried until the seeds in them rattle. The outer case contains two dark, hard kidney-shaped seeds.

Allspice is added to pork and chicken dishes. It can be used in preserves and chutneys. It has medicinal, anti-microbial, insecticidal, nematicidal, anti-oxidant and deodorant properties.

It is locally known as Gandamenasu, Sarvasugandhi and Sarvasukanthi.