A single dried berry from a Caribbean tree whose flavor combines cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg in one — central to Jamaican jerk seasoning, Middle Eastern stews, and pickling spice blends.
One spice that tastes like four
Allspice gets its name from its flavor profile — Christopher Columbus’s crew, encountering the dried berry in Jamaica in 1494, thought it tasted like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and pepper combined. The same chemistry that makes those spices pungent (eugenol, the same compound that’s dominant in cloves) is concentrated in allspice.
A single-source spice
Almost all commercial allspice comes from Jamaica — the climate and soil produce berries with the highest essential oil content. Mexico and Honduras grow some, but Jamaica’s is the gold standard. The trees are dioecious (male and female plants are separate), and only female trees produce fruit.
In the kitchen
- Jamaican jerk — allspice is the dominant flavor of jerk marinade and rub.
- Middle Eastern stews — Lebanese, Turkish, and Levantine cooking uses allspice in meat dishes (köfte, kibbeh, baharat blends).
- Pickling — allspice berries go into the standard “pickling spice” mix.
- Baking — small amounts in pumpkin pie, gingerbread, and Christmas cookies.
The berries should be ground fresh when possible; pre-ground allspice loses its complexity quickly.
Find more foods by letter
Allspice starts with A and ends with E. Browse other foods along the same letter.
Foods that contain a letter from "Allspice":