DESCRIPTION

Allspice berries are the fruit of a tall tropical evergreen tree in the myrtle family. It is native to the West Indies; some sources believe it is also indigenous to parts of Latin America. Its Spanish name, pimenta, means “pepper,” because the early Spanish explorers, who were seeking the Spice Islands, thought they had reached their destination and mistook the berries for peppercorns. Today, allspice is primarily grown in Jamaica, the Caribbean, and South America; the best is said to come from Jamaica.