The Juniper berry is not a true berry but rather a female cone of the Juniper tree, from the genus [Juniper Communis] the most common of the species. Google Juniper berry and you’ll find people asking what do you use it for.
The Juniper berry dates back to the ancient times having been found in Egyptian tombs and had been used medicinally as a diuretic. The Romans used Juniper berries as a cheap substitute for black pepper.
In modern times it is used in European cuisine especially as a spice for wild game, as well as the oil being used as a flavouring in gin. Juniper berries can be found in many pepper rubs for their unique properties. While many recipes call for Juniper berries the problem is cooks do not have these readily available in their kitchen so they often use substitutes such as a mix of herbs and spices and even gin! They have a bitter astringent taste with a hint of resinous pine – not appealing by itself but as part of a seasoning plays an important role.
