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What is Allspice?

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

A spice is leaves, seeds, or other plant parts used for flavoring food or as a condiment. The name derives from the Late Latin word species, meaning “wares” or “spices.” Spices are sometimes categorized by their cultural connection, for example, Italian spices or Cajun spices. Some herbs are also considered to be spices, but not all spices are herbs.

History. Also called “Jamaica pepper,” allspice is the dried unripe berry of the pimento plant, an evergreen native to Central America, Mexico, South America, and the West Indies. In the times before refrigeration, allspice was used by buccaneers to cure their meat. The popular liqueur Benedictine, created during the Renaissance in the Abbey of Fécamp, contains 27 plants of spices, one of which is said to be allspice. Allspice is also one of the terms used to describe the character of wine.

Allspice is used in pickling.
Allspice is used in pickling.

Description. Pimenta officinalis and Pimenta dioica are the two most often found varieties of the plant from which allspice comes, and both are in the family Myrtaceae. The plant grows up to 40 feet (12 meters) in height. Small white flowers bloom in June through August. The taste of allspice led to its name – it is said to taste like a combination of cloves, juniper, cinnamon, and pepper, or some other array of pungent spices. It is rated as a four out of ten on a scale of spice heat.

Allspice may be used to flavor pumpkin pie.
Allspice may be used to flavor pumpkin pie.

Food and other Uses. Allspice may be most often thought of as a baking spice, used in cookies, pies, pudding, and – perhaps most famously – as part of the spicy mix used to flavor pumpkin pie. Allspice is also used in sweet, hot drinks, such as hot apple cider and eggnog. It also finds a place in wassail and in the drink called Tom & Jerry, where it is part of a spice combination that also includes mace, cloves, and nutmeg.

Allspice is often used in eggnog.
Allspice is often used in eggnog.

Allspice has a place in savory dishes as well. Allspice is used for pickling, including pickled beets, cucumbers, eggs, and corned beef. Jamaican jerk also features allspice as one of its key ingredients. The spice is used in North African and Arabic stews, as well.

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to DelightedCooking about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

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Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to DelightedCooking about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

calabama71

@cmsmith10: You would need about 10-12 berries to equal a teaspoon of allspice. You can buy the berries and then crush them using a spice grinder. Sometimes the grinder doesn’t completely grind the berries. In that event, you can put your berries in a Ziploc bag and beat them with something hard. I use an iron skillet.

cmsmith10

How many allspice berries would it take to make 1 tsp. of allspice?

CellMania

@momothree: Yes, the berries can be used whole. You can make a great peppercorn mixture with allspice berries. Use equal portions of allspice berries and green, white, and black peppercorns.

momothree

Can the allspice berries be used whole?

sinefey

Allspice with apricot preserves makes a great glaze for pork, be careful and add the allspice slowly, it's strong! And of course a cup of eggnog just isn't fit for drinking without that sprinkle of allspice.

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    • Allspice is used in pickling.
      By: Schlierner
      Allspice is used in pickling.
    • Allspice may be used to flavor pumpkin pie.
      By: Lisa F. Young
      Allspice may be used to flavor pumpkin pie.
    • Allspice is often used in eggnog.
      By: uckyo
      Allspice is often used in eggnog.
    • Allspice is used in pickling beets.
      By: zigzagmtart
      Allspice is used in pickling beets.