Allspice

Flavour and aroma

clove-like, peppery, cinnamon, nutmeg. Warm, sweet, clove-like with peppery notes.

Heat

No heat

Forms

whole, ground

How to use it

• use raw

  Add 4–8 whole berries to brines, pickling liquids, stocks and braises; remove before serving.

• crush · Dry grinding technique

  Crack berries with the flat of a knife for jerk marinades and rubs; this releases more flavour than whole berries.

• grind · Dry grinding technique

  Grind freshly in a spice grinder; it is strong, so start with 1/4 teaspoon for 4 servings.

• toast · Toasting technique

  Toast briefly in a dry pan before grinding for meat rubs; stop as soon as it smells sweet, before it smokes.

• Jamaican jerk seasoning
• Middle Eastern rice, kibbeh and stuffings
• Pickling and brines
• Christmas cakes and puddings
• Swedish meatballs

Identifying good quality

Round, dark reddish-brown berries 5–8 mm across, larger and smoother than peppercorns, with a small crown at one end. A crushed berry smells strongly of clove. Ground allspice is mid-brown and should smell sweet and pungent.

• Not to be confused with Black peppercorns: Peppercorns are smaller, more wrinkled and smell hot, not clove-like.
• Not to be confused with Juniper berries: Juniper is blue-black and resinous, like pine.

Origin and history

Origin: The Caribbean (especially Jamaica), southern Mexico and Central America.. Grown and used: Jamaica remains the best-known producer, with crops in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala; used worldwide, most heavily in Caribbean, Levantine and Northern European cooking..

Spanish explorers encountered allspice in the Caribbean in the early 16th century and named it pimienta, which is why it is still called pimento in Jamaica. The English name refers to its smell, which suggests cinnamon, clove and nutmeg together. It became central to Jamaican jerk, Levantine seven-spice, Scandinavian pickled herring and many Northern European pickling blends.

Well documented

In masalas, pastes and sauces

• Berbere spice blendMasala2 g per batch
• Ras el hanoutMasala3 g per batch
• Baharat (Lebanese seven spice)Masala12 g per batch
• Recado rojo (Yucatecan achiote paste)Masala2 g per batch
• Jamaican jerk paste (wet jerk)Masala12 g per batch
• Mole poblanoSauce0.5 g per batch
• Homemade tomato ketchupSauce0.5 g per batch
• Homemade brown sauceSauce1 g per batch
• Caribbean Scotch bonnet pepper sauceSauce0.5 g per batch