The History and Science of Allspice: From John Ray to the Global Pantry

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Allspice is the dried unripened fruit of an evergreen plant in the Myrtle family called Pimienta dioca. It is commonly called the pimento tree. The tree is indigenous to Central America and grows from Southern Mexico to Panama and throughout the Caribbean. Other names for the spice is Jamaican pepper, clove pepper, pimento, and English spice. Although dried allspice berries may resemble peppercorns, the spice is not related to black peppercorns at all. The picture below is a close-up photo of dried allspice berries.

Spanish explorers to Central American and the West Indies noticed native peoples adding these small dried berries to their food and using it with chocolate. The dried and cured berries resembled peppercorns to the Spanish. Since it didn’t only add spice to a dish, but also pungency, they thought it actually was a kind of peppercorn, so they called it dulce pimienta, later Anglicized to pimento, simply meaning “pepper.” In French, the spice is called poivre aromatique: aromatic pepper; in German, Nelkenpfeffer: clove pepper. Also, it is often called Jamaican pepper.

Why is it Called Allspice?

The allspice name was coined by English botanist John Ray in his monumental 3-volume work, Historia Plantarum. He called it “allspice” because the flavor reminded him of a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. He described it as a “sweet, scented Jamaica pepper.”

To a modern reader, a blend of just three spices doesn’t exactly sound like “all” of them. However, besides black pepper, the undisputed king of spices, in John Ray’s 17th-century world, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves were the quintessential “exotic spices.” They were the luxury pillars of the global spice trade—intensely aromatic, incredibly expensive, and distinct from one another. By claiming this single Caribbean berry captured the essence of all three, Ray wasn’t just describing a flavor; he was suggesting that nature had miraculously distilled the entire spice cabinet into one fruit. To the English palate of the 1600s, if you had those three flavors, you essentially had “all” the spice you needed.

Why Europeans Couldn’t Grow Their Own Allspice

For centuries, Europeans were frustrated by their complete inability to cultivate allspice outside of the West Indies. Despite many attempts to bring seeds back to Europe or transplant them to other tropical colonies, the seeds simply refused to germinate. It was eventually discovered that the allspice berry requires a very specific biological “key” to unlock its growth: the seeds must first pass through the digestive tract of certain birds or bats. The stomach acids of these animals soften the incredibly tough outer coating of the seed just enough for it to sprout once it is “deposited” back into the soil. This unique ecological dependency meant that for a long time, Jamaica held a virtual monopoly on the spice, as the “secret” to its reproduction was literally held by the local wildlife. Today, birds have introduced the plant to Hawaii, Tonga, and Samoa, where it has become invasive.

What Does Allspice Taste Like?

Despite the name, allspice is not a combination of all the spices, but it does have a flavor that is reminiscent of several important aromatic spices, including cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper. In America, this flavor combination makes allspice a favorite addition to fruit pies like apple and especially pumpkin. It is also a primary ingredient in Jamaican jerk seasoning or paste. It is popular in British, Scandinavian, German, North African, and American cooking. It is not typically used in Asian cooking. It is used in sausages, as well as stews, and sauces.

Allspice is sometimes used in ketchup and in jams. Some people use it with baked ham and it goes well with any smoked meat, including pork, beef, and fish. Mexican moles sometimes feature allspice. Allspice is also frequently found in liqueurs, including Jamaican pimento dram. It is typically used ground.

The World’s Most Expensive Flavor: You could buy a shelf full of Allspice for the price of one pound of the “Red Gold” of the spice world. See why Saffron is the Most Expensive Spice on Earth—it involves thousands of flowers and a ridiculous amount of manual labor.

What Spices Go Well with Allspice?

Allspice works well combined with cumin, cinnamon, and cloves. It is also harmonious when used in dishes that feature any of the following flavors:

cardamon
ginger
coriander seed
fennel seed
mustard seed

How Should It Be Stored?

For the longest shelf-life, purchase allspice as whole berries and grind when needed using a coffee grinder. If you buy it ground, it may last longer if kept in the refrigerator.

Some of the best allspice comes from Jamaica, where, as mentioned, it is an important culinary spice. So, if you have a choice, buy a Jamaican variety.

The ground or whole spice is readily available in grocery stores so there is no need to substitute other spices unless you are in a pinch.

Allspice Substitute

In that case, you can use around one part each of ground cinnamon and cloves, plus a pinch of nutmeg and pepper, adjusting as needed for desired flavor.

Do not use too much nutmeg, as it is extremely strong and will overwhelm a dish if used in excess.

The Deviled Egg Problem: Speaking of substitutions, there’s one spice in your cabinet you’re almost certainly using wrong. If your paprika tastes like nothing but red dust, it’s not the spice’s fault—it’s yours.

Learn the Paprika Secret and How to Discover Your New Favorite Ingredient

Allspice Uses

Allspice is a common ingredient in smoked meats, pumpkin pie, and a central component of Jamaican jerk. It is also used in Scandinavian pickled herring and is common in Arabic cooking, flavoring rice dishes, kofte, and broths. All parts of the tree itself also gives off the same aromas and the leaves and bark can be used to flavor foods as well.

Allspice has traditionally been used to flavor beverages, as well. It is used in a Jamaican liqueur called Pimento Dram, which is made by soaking the berries in rum and adding a sweetener. This liqueur is hard to find today, except in Jamaica.

However, an imported brand, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram is available. The Aztecs and Mayans flavored their chocolate drinks with the spice. See What is a Dram?

Historical and Other Uses Throughout the World

Allspice is popular in Western cuisines like British, Scandinavian, German and American as well as North African, the Middle East and, of course, Caribbean cooking. It is not popular in Asian cooking, however. Some of it’s uses include:

To a modern reader, a blend of just three spices doesn’t exactly sound like “all” of them. However, in John Ray’s 17th-century world, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves were the quintessential “exotic spices.” They were the luxury pillars of the global spice trade—intensely aromatic, incredibly expensive, and distinct from one another. By claiming this single Caribbean berry captured the essence of all three, Ray wasn’t just describing a flavor; he was suggesting that nature had miraculously distilled the entire spice cabinet into one fruit. To the English palate of the 1600s, if you had those three flavors, you essentially had “all” the spice you needed.

Preserving meats – Caribbeans and Indigenous Americans and also learned by the Spanish explorers to those regions
Caribbean jerk, curries
Smoked and barbecued meat, used by Caribbean pirates in their boucan
As part of a spice blend for pickling or as part of a marinate for meats
Scandinavian meat patties and sausages
British stews, sauces, and pickled vegetables, mincemeats, cakes, puddings, sausages and cured meats
North Africa – Ethiopian berbere and Moroccan ras-el-hanout
Middle East – stews, kibbeh, and rice pilafs
Mexico – Some mole sauces in Oaxaca, Mexico
Some fish curries in Kerala, India
ketchup
jams
ham
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