What is ALLSPICE? It’s health benefits & uses

Allspice (Pimenta dioica) is the dried berries of the plant Pimenta dioica.  As the name suggests it has the combined flavour of many spices namely cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, ginger and juniper. In India it is widely grown in Kerala. Allspice fruits are picked when they are green and unripe. They are then dried in the sun until they turn brown and look like large peppercorn kernels. These dried allspice berries can be used whole or ground to a powder and used as a spice in cooking. The leaves of allspice plants look a lot like bay leaves and are also used in cooking.

IN INDIAN NAME OF allspice

Kannada:         Gandamenasu

Malayalam:     Sarvasugandhi

Tamil:              Sarvasukanthi

FOREIGN NAME OF allspice

Arabic :            Bahar

Danish :           Allehande

Dutch :            Jamaica pepper, piment

English :          Jamaica pepper, myrtle pepper, pimento

German:         Piment Neugewurz,

Hungarian:     Jamaikai szegfubors,

Italian:             Pimento, pepe di Giamaica

Norwegian :    Allehande

Portuguese :    Pimenta da Jamaica

Russian :         Yamaiskiy pjerets

Spanish :         Pimienta de Jamaica

Swedish :        Kryddpeppar

Turkish :          Yeni bahar

Health Benefits of allspice 

1. It contains many anti-oxidants with anti-inflammatory, anti-bacteria and anti-fungal elements
2. Boosts immunity
3. Protects heart health
4. Improves brain functioning and blood circulation
5. Good foe Strong bones
6. Helps maintain good blood cell count
7. Fights depression & anxiety
8. Relieves menstrual pain &treats menopausal issues
9. Good anti-ageing agent
10. Good for metabolism 

Add allspice in your daily diet

• Use it to flavour your food- biriyanis, veg and non veg curries, kebabs and tikkas
• Use it in masala tea and Indian garam masala
• Substitute allspice leaves for bay leaves- they have similar aroma and flavour
• Use it in pickles, chutneys and ketch ups for that oriental flavour
• Use it to spice up sweet dishes like gingerbreads, apple pies, dark chocolate based desserts and cakes
• Add it to stews, curries and soups for a peppery overtone and mild flavour
• Allspice is  a main flavor used in barbecue sauces
• A main ingredient in Jamaican cuisine

 How to purchase Allspice

• Be it allspice berries, powdered berries, leaves or powdered leaves, freshness and authenticity is the key to good flavour
• Always buy good quality allspice products from a trusted brand or supplier to ensure quality and authenticity
• Make sure it is organically grown and free from pesticides and additives
• Always ask the sourcing of spices details from the manufacturer. Spices sourced from small and marginal farmers are usually of native variety and authentic.
• Always go for spices packed in flavour locked containers. Also check the date of packaging as well as expiry date. 

Storage Instructions 

• Store allspice berries/powder in air tight glass jars or tin container after opening the packet
• Store in a cool, dry place. It remains fresh upto 2 years if stored properly.
• Expose it to partial sun once in a while to refresh. Do not expose to direct sunlight for long
• For bulk storage keep the berries in polythene bags inside a wooden box. Keep the box in a dark, dry and cool place free from pests.
• Always powder allspice berries in small quantities to retain freshness 

 

Difference between LAW Allspice and ordinary Allspice available in the market
LAW- Allspice	Ordinary Allspice
Sourcing organically grown allspice from small and marginal organic farmers networks of Kerala	As the bigger manufacturers/brands sources  spices from multiple sources
Partnered with the best organic farmers with a credible track record	In bulk procurement it would be difficult to source only organic produce
Only local and indigenous varieties are sourced. No genetically modified or hybrid products are sold	Most of the spices in the market now are hybrid varieties or mixed
Happy to share genuine source certification details	Normally companies don’t share sourcing details
Our spices are free from pesticides, fertilizers and are grown using traditional techniques	Market available spices are too much pesticide used
Our spices are tested for the presence of heavy metals and it is free from all types of heavy metals	Percentage of heavy metals like lead, zinc, nickel, copper, iron, mercury, cadmium and arsenic are very common in spices
We don’t sell oil extracted, polished or artificial color added spices. The natural qualities are kept intact in its raw form	Oil extracted and polished allspice is widely available in market that lacks natural, strong aroma
We adopt steam sterilization of all our spices and then dry in solar dryer. We avoid direct sun drying as it hampers the retention of nutrients	Spices are generally dried under sun and don’t adopt any modern way of harvesting and drying techniques
Our farmers are technically supported by CFTRI, Mysore for harvesting, drying and preserving of spices without nutrition loss	Generally farmers are not getting any such education on drying process & preservation of spices
We don’t promote use of preservatives or additives to enhance shelf life	Chemical preservatives are mostly added to get better shelf life and rich black colour
To avoid adulteration in powdered spices, we  prepare them in-house under our direct supervision	Market available spice powders are produced with third party manufacturing. Only labeling is done  by big brands
Eco-friendly, non-plastic  packaging like tin or glass containers used	Spice powders are generally packed in low quality plastic pouches

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