Juniper (Juniperus communis L.) The berry-like cones of the Juniper take two years to mature and there sensoric quality is aromatic with a sweet accent, similar to the South American pink pepper. There is no specific region as the several species of the genus Juniperus grow all over temperate Europe and Asia. Juniper is an important spice in many European cuisines, especially in Alpine regions, where juniper grows abundantly. It is the only example of a spice in the botanic group of the coniferae, and also one of the few examples of spices from cold climatic regions, though the best quality stems from Southern European countries.