Wood sources- Pimento wood

[ccase39]

I do a lot of Jerk pork and the key to it is smoking it in pimento wood, wood from the allspice tree. I have been buying it from an online site but all they have are chips. Plus it is pretty expensive. Im looking for chunks. Anyone got a line of wood of this kind?

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[drains]

I believe it only comes in sticks and chips and only from Jamaica. The only places I found are both online. I have never used it myself but then I never have done any jerk chicken, etc.  Good luck in your search.

[Jodischoenauer]

We are the seller of pimento wood. It may seem expensive but when I explain it will make sense.

First it's a very STRONG wood - a little goes a long way. You shouldn't use as much as other woods.

Next, the process to export it from Jamaica is insanely complicated and regulated. There have been other sellers illegally importing to USA, and customs seized the product and people were out their $$. We've received many calls about this. The government is Jamaica outlawed all export of pimento wood until recently. We've worked to establish a SUSTAINABLE program to import the wood. This started in 2006. We must pass rigerous export rules and inspections and the same upon receiving the wood in the USA. The amount of inspections we are required to pass and the documentation we must provide is daunting. That is why we are the only approved seller of pimento wood. It's a national treasure to Jamaica and they are very protective of this resource. Why? Because at the turn of the century the entire species of tree was almost extinct from
over export - it was used for women's parasols and men's walking canes. That's when Jamaica outlawed export.

So, buyer beware of random vendors selling what they call pimento wood. It's usually not, and if it is its illegally imported and can host a variety of pests that the USDA tries to keep out of this country.

[Jodischoenauer]

One more thing - chunks are not optimal for getting the most smoke flavor from pimento wood. You want lots of surface area to produce smoke and steam. Pimento wood chips  and flakes soaked for an hour and wrapped in a tinfoil burrito with holes poked in work best. Ditto for pimento wood leaves.  Sticks work ok, and can be reused if not burnt, but not as wall as chips and flakes. There's a great video on you tube from 2013 on CBS of Gary demonstrating the technique.

[ccase39]

One more thing - chunks are not optimal for getting the most smoke flavor from pimento wood. You want lots of surface area to produce smoke and steam. Pimento wood chips  and flakes soaked for an hour and wrapped in a tinfoil burrito with holes poked in work best. Ditto for pimento wood leaves.  Sticks work ok, and can be reused if not burnt, but not as wall as chips and flakes. There's a great video on you tube from 2013 on CBS of Gary demonstrating the technique.

Awesome info. I'm not worried so much about price, I would just like to buy in bigger than 2lb shipments. How do I buy from you guys?

[pimentowoodproducts]

You can purchase the wood direct at www.pimentowoodproducts.com

[stout]

try to get some olive wood .. mix it with some of that pimento wood
and smoke a martini

[Durangosmoker]

I bought some a few years ago from www.pimentowood.com. I got the large chips, which are really large chunks that I had to split with a hatchet.