Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Juniper Berry

A juniper berry is the female seed cone produced by the various species of junipers. It is not a true berry but a cone with unusually fleshy and merged scales, which give it a berry-like appearance. The cones from a handful of species, especiallyJuniperus communis, are used as a spice, particularly inEuropean cuisine, and also give gin its distinguishing flavour. According to one FAO document, juniper berries are the only spice derived from conifers,[1] though tar and inner bark (used as a sweetener in Apache cuisines) from pine trees is sometimes considered a spice as well.
Juniper berries, here still attached to a branch, are actually modified conifer cones.

No comments:

Post a Comment