Wacholderbeerenjuniper berries

Not a berry at all, but the fleshy cone of Juniperus communis. Dried they are blue black, wrinkled, with a pale star at the tip.

They go into Sauerkraut, into game dishes, into the brine for Sauerbraten and into gin.

Geschmacktaste

Pine resin with a bitter edge. The note comes from pinene, the same compound you smell in conifer wood.

Press them once with the flat of a knife before they go in. Left whole and untouched they give up almost nothing.

Mengehow many

Two or three berries for a pot of Sauerkraut, no more. Past five the resin takes over and the dish tastes soapy.

Fish them out before serving. Biting into a whole berry is no fun.

In Mexikoin Mexico

Ask for bayas de enebro. The ordinary mercado rarely has them, spice shops do, otherwise Mercado Libre or Amazon MX.

There is no substitute. Without them, work with bay leaf and black pepper and leave the forest note out rather than fake it.

Vorsichtcareful

Do not mix them up with pimienta gorda. That is allspice, a different plant, and it tastes of clove and cinnamon, not resin.