Allspice was discovered growing in Jamaica by early Spanish explorers who were impressed with the taste and aroma of the leaves and berries, and it has been in continuous production there since about 1509. Because Allspice resembles peppercorns, it was named pimenta by the Portuguese and pimienta by the Spanish - both meaning pepper.
Used mainly as a spice and condiment, Allspice was in great demand as a soothing anesthetic in baths to relieve sore muscles and made a stimulating spice plaster to relieve rheumatism and neuralgia. At the end of the nineteenth century, it became fashionable to have umbrellas and walking sticks made of pimento, leading to strict enforcement of controls that saved the young trees from disappearing altogether. Allspice, with its flavor of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, has always been an important spice and condiment and was added to mulled wine and curry, among other dishes. It has also been used widely to improve the flavor of commercial medicines.
The main constituents of Allspice are the volatile oils found in its seeds and phenol eugenol (which doubtless gives it its clove-like odor). Some of the other constituents include a fixed oil (bonastre), tannin, gum, resin, malic and gallic acids, lignin, and it is also a natural source of beta-carotene and other important nutrients.
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