Juniper berry
A juniper berry is the seed cone produced by the various species of the juniper tree; it is not a true berry but the unusually fleshy, merged scales of the cone do give it a physical similarity to one. The cones from a handful of species, especially juniperus communis, are used as a spice, flavouring European meat and cabbage dishes and giving gin its distinguishing flavour. All juniper species grow berries, but some are considered too bitter to eat. Other edible species include Juniperus phoenicea[1] and Juniperus californica. Juniper berries are the only spice derived from conifer trees.[2]
Juniper berries grow to around 10 millimetres (⅓ in) in diameter. Unlike the separated and woody scales of a typical pine cone, those in a juniper berry remain fleshy and merge into a unified covering surrounding the seeds. They are green when young and mature to a purple-black color over one to three years.[3] It is the mature, dark berries that are usually but not exclusively used in cuisine, while gin is flavoured with fully-grown but immature green berries.[2]
The flavour profile of young, green berries is dominated by pinene; as they mature this piney backdrop is joined by what McGee describes as "green-fresh" and citrus notes.[3] The outer scales of the berries are relatively flavourless and so the berries are almost always at least lightly crushed before being used as a spice. Their flavour and odour is at their strongest immediately after harvest and decline during drying and storage.
Juniper berries were exported from ancient Greece to Egypt for either medicinal or culinary purposes; berries of species growing in Greece but not Egypt have been found in Egyptian tombs including Tutankhamun's.[1] The Romans used it as a domestically-produced substitute for the expensive black pepper and long pepper imported from India.[1]
Notes and references
- ^ a b c Dalby, Andrew (2002). Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices. University of California Press. pp. p. 33. ISBN 0520236742.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help) - ^ a b Ciesla, William M (1998). Non-wood forest products from conifers. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 92-5-104212-8. Chapter 8: Seeds, Fruits, and Cones. Retrieved July 27 2006.
- ^ a b McGee, Harold (2004). On Food and Cooking (Revised Edition). Scribner. pp. p. 410. ISBN 0-684-80001-2.
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