So, with no further ado, let's get right into it.

Allspice
Pimenta dioica

Allspice berries are the round dried fruit of a member of the myrtle and clove family. The plant is an evergreen and can grow to over 40 feet in height. They're usually picked when unripe and green and set to sun dry until they achieve their characteristic rich brown colour. They look almost like large peppercorns though they aren't as wrinkled. It's native to the West Indies and Latin America and specifically wide spread in Jamaica where it's used in much of the native island cuisine.

Its flavour is slightly reminiscent of a mixture of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg and that's where its name comes from. Buy this spice whole, keep it in airtight containers and grind as required. Ground allspice does not retain its flavour well.

It's used quite a bit in Scandinavian cuisine, it can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes. Mostly whole, it's used in smoked and pickled foods, and many different types of sausages are flavoured with it including English pork and game pies. It's used ground in pies, cakes, and puddings especially in the traditional British Christmas pudding.

Cardamom
Elettaria cardamomum

The cardamom bush is related to the ginger plant and can grow as high as 10 feet, with its stalks spreading along the ground. It's a native Indian plant although it is now found also in Indonesia, China and Latin America. Usually the whole seed pod is used but discarded as the seed pod itself is inedible. Most widely available is the small oval grey-green pod, its seeds being tiny and dark brown in colour, although there is a "black" version as well as a white (bleached) version. Its flavour is sweet and crisp with a hint of eucalyptus. As with allspice, it's best to buy the pods whole and store them in an airtight container.

Cardamom is essential in many Indian recipes including curries and pilaus, and is important to garam masala as well as many Indian sweets. It has been adapted in Europe and parts of Scandinavia to be used in cakes, pastries and pickling mixtures.

Cinnamon
Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Cinnamon grows in many tropical areas including Sri Lanka, southern India and islands such as the Seychelles and the West Indies. It can grow to 30 feet but the bark is usually harvested from young shoots. Usually sold in "quills" that can be anywhere from 3 - 6 inches in length, or as a powder. While the powder may be more convenient, the quills last longer and can be used in many dishes and removed -- much like a vanilla bean. Store either form in airtight containers in a dark place.

Use cinnamon to flavour almost any sweet. In Indian cuisine find it in curries and kormas. In the Middle East and Greece it can be found in meat stuffings as well as their nutty honeyed pastry fillings. Europeans use it in many cakes and other desserts, but I think most of us would agree . . . think cinnamon and think apples!!

Cloves
Eugenia caryophyllus

The clove tree is an evergreen that can grow as high as 45 feet and is found mainly near sea shores. The cloves are actually the unripened flower buds of the tree and they are picked when turning from green to a pale pink. They are dried which makes them that deep rich brown we're all familiar with and they sort of look like short nails. Found mainly in the Spice Islands, they can also be found in Zanzibar, Malaysia and Indonesia.

They have a sweet, biting flavour, and should be used with care as they can easily overpower other tastes. As with the other spices, it's best to buy them whole and grind them as needed. Store in airtight containers.

Cloves are used in both sweet and savoury dishes and are present in a number of spice blends and mixes. Most European stocks and soups often contain a couple of cloves and a single clove is great as a part of a bouquet garni. They are the quintessential garnish when used to stud a glazed baked ham. They are wonderful in mixtures containing apples and are essential to mulled wines and ciders.

Okay . . . and now for the part you've all really been waiting for . . . my streudel recipe!!

*fanfare*

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