The dried unripe fruits of Pimenta dioica,,a,smallish, evergreen tree, provides the culinary spice pimento of commerce. It belongs to the Myrtaceae, the same family as the clove. Pimento is also called allspice, as the flavour is said to resemble a mixture of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. It is sometimes known as Jamaica pepper.

The first record of pimento being exported to London seems to be in 1601, when what appears to be pimento was given to Clusius by Garret, a London druggist. It must have reached Spain at a much earlier date.

An oil is extracted from the leaves which has been in commercial production in Jamaica since 1920. There was a considerable export of pimento saplings towards the end of the nineteenth century for use as walking sticks and umbrella sticks.

Patrick Browne (1775) records that the export of pimento had reached 438000 pounds, valued at 21925 by 1755, that by that time it was cultivated with great care and was planted in regular groves or `walks’. He also gives what appears to be the first record of barren trees.

By the end of the nineteenth century exports had reached over 10 million pounds (4 million kg), with a record crop in 1908 of 25575100 pounds (11600700 kg). Present crops are of the order of 2,f million kg. The manufacture of leaf oil was first begun in 1920 (Ward, 1961). Pimento was distributed widely throughout the tropics, including India, from where it was taken to Penang in 1800, and to other countries including Ceylon, Fiji, Singapore and elsewhere. Nowhere has it done well outside its original home, with the possible exception of Grenada. Jamaica continues to be the main exporter, but Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras also export the spice.

Rodriquez (1969) states that the pimento tree ‘was found growing in Jamaica by the early Spanish explorers who were quite impressed with the taste and aroma of the berries and leaves. Jamaica is the only place known to be in continuous production since the tree was identified about the year 1509. In 1532 Filipe IV of Spain was advised that pepper grew wild on trees in Jamaica and thinking that the Royal Treasury stood to benefit, he issued instructions to the Council at Santa Domingo to investigate “la pimienta de Jamaica”. Samples were sent to him with the report that the trees grew all over the island, and that “no cultural work” was needed.