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![Juniper berries, here still attached to a branch, are actually modified conifer cones.](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Juniperus_communis_cones.jpg/183px-Juniperus_communis_cones.jpg)
Juniper berries, here still attached to a branch, are actually modified conifer cones.
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 called a galbulus, which gives it a berry-like appearance. The cones from a handful of species, especially Juniperus communis, are used as a spice, particularly in European cuisine, and also give gin its distinctive flavour. Juniper berries are among the only spices derived from conifers, along with spruce buds.
Used in Gin.