Juniper berry
A juniper berry is the female 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 which gives it a berry-like appearance, similar to the red fruit of the Common Yew. The cones from a handful of species, especially Juniperus communis, are used as a spice in Europe to flavour meat and cabbage dishes. The berries also give 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. According to an FAO document, 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. The berries are green when young and mature to a purple-black colour over one to three years.[3] The mature, dark berries 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, 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.
An essential oil extracted from juniper berries is used in aromatherapy and perfumery.[1] The essential oil can be distilled out of berries which have already been used to flavour gin.[2]
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 that of Tutankhamun.[1] The Romans used juniper berries as a cheap domestically-produced substitute for the expensive black pepper and long pepper imported from India.[1]
In fiction
In the British comedy Monty Python's Life of Brian, Simon the Holy Man, a hermit, lives on juniper berries. Brian is credited with the "miracle" of making Simon's bushes bring forth fruit.
Notes and references
- ^ a b c d 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 c 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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