Despite its name, allspice is a stand-alone spice, not a blend of multiple ingredients. This little berry, the fruit of a tropical myrtle tree, has a pleasantly warm and fragrant aroma of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, with just a hint of pepper. Its flavor opens with a sweet pungency with floral traces. That passes to a bittersweet pepper and, at the same time, expresses an entertaining numbness that stays on the lips long after the flavors fade. With an essential oil content of 4-5% by weight, Jamaican Allspice Berries are considered the finest allspice available.

The berry is not the only desirable part of the allspice tree. Durable, attractive, and fragrant, allspice wood was used in all manner of public use, from house building to fence posts. Slender saplings were particularly valued for their appeal to fashionable men of the 1800s, who stopped wearing swords and started carrying walking sticks. Between 1876 and 1930, the allspice industry in Jamaica was nearly destroyed because the saplings of the young pimento trees were being uprooted and exported to England and the United States for the production of walking sticks. In 1881, one shipment alone contained 521,000 saplings. By 1882, Jamaica instituted trade controls to preserve the allspice industry.

Tips From Our Kitchen

Dry-toast whole Jamaican Allspice Berries before using to wake up the volatile oils. Add to brine for pickles. Grind after toasting and use to glaze roast pork or ham. Mix with sugar and candy chickpeas. They are a standard ingredient in Oaxacan mole sauce and in traditional mincemeat pies. Home brewers often use whole allspice to flavor beer, and craft cocktailers can mix with rum for a simple allspice dram. We also offer freshly Ground Jamaican Allspice in addition to whole Jamaican Allspice Berries.

Five whole allspice berries are approximately equal to one teaspoon of ground allspice. One ounce of whole allspice is approximately equal to four and a half tablespoons of ground allspice.

Our whole Jamaican Allspice Berries are cultivated in Jamaica.

This product is certified kosher.

Hungry for more information?

Holiday Spice Guide
Which Spices Do You Grind?
Craft Brewers' Favorite Beer Spices
Flavor Characteristics of Spices