Allspice, Pimenta dioica (formerly Pimenta officinalis), comes from the family Myrtaceae (myrtle family) and is closely related to clove, eucalyptus, guava and the bay rum tree. Allspice is the only spice that is grown exclusively in the Western Hemisphere and is native to the West Indies, Southern Mexico and Central America.

Christopher Columbus discovered Allspice on the island of Jamaica during his second voyage to the New World. Dried Allspice berries look similar to large smooth brownish - black peppercorns, and because of this strong resemblance, Columbus called Allspice pimiento, which is what the Spanish called black peppercorns. Allspice was imported to Europe in 1601 as a substitute for cardamom.

Many food historians believe that it was the British in the early 1600’s who gave this berry the name Allspice because of the dried seed’s aroma which smells like a combination of spices; most notably cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg.  

Allspice is also called Pimenta (French), Jamikapfefer (German), Pimento (Italian), Pimiento de Jamaica (Spanish), Kabab Cheene (Indian), Yenibahar (Turkish), Bahar Halu (Arabic), Do Heung Gwo (Cantonese), Duo Xiang Guo (Mandarin) and may also be referred to as Jamaica pepper, clove pepper or myrtle pepper.

What’s the Difference Between Jamaican and Mexican Allspice?

Jamaican Allspice is considered by many to be the best quality allspice, with the highest volatile oil content, in the world. Mexican Allspice berries have the largest size and darkest color (compared to other allspice growing countries). Typically, Allspice that is harvested in Mexico and other Central American countries (Guatemala and Honduras) have a greater variance in the size of the berries and in volatile oil content. This is due to these berries being harvested from wild growing trees more often, while Jamaican Allspice cultivation is much more controlled and tightly regulated by the Jamaican government.

The volatile oil content in Jamaican Allspice is usually 3-4%, while the volatile oil in Mexican Allspice is more often in the 2-3% range. To most cooks the difference in flavor is negligible, and Mexican Allspice is much more reasonably priced than Jamaican grown Allspice.

Mexican Allspice is harvested in July and August, while Jamaican Allspice is typically harvested in August and September.

In Mexico and Guatemala, the Allspice tree and fruit are called “pimienta gorda” which means “fat pepper”.

History of Allspice

The genus name Pimenta comes from Spanish “pimienta” for black pepper. Its name has quite a bit of confusion surrounding it, In Late Latin, the word “pigmentum” meant "dye", but over time it took an additional meaning which was "spice" or "condiment". The Portuguese and Spanish languages formed their word for "pepper" not from the Latin "piper" (which translates to "pepper"), but from the Late Latin “pigmentum” - Portuguese “pimenta” and Spanish “pimienta”. The Spanish controlled the import of Allspice into Europe during into the 16th century, and because Columbus originally referred to Allspice as pimiento, this was often how the spice was introduced into other European languages - ie French (Pimenta) and Ukrainian (piment).

To add even more confusion to the naming convention, contemporary Spanish uses the masculine form, pimiento, for paprika and the feminine form, pimienta, for pepper.

The first known use of Allspice was from the ancient Mayans (2600 BC - 1500AD) and Aztecs (1250 - 1521AD), who both used Allspice seeds to flavor favorite chocolate drinks.

After Columbus introduced Allspice to Europe, there were numerous attempts to grow the tree in the spice producing regions of the east, but these attempts yielded little usable fruit. Even though Allspice was similar to other coveted spices that produced strong aromas and flavors, Allspice was never as popular in most of Europe like cinnamon and pepper were. The British started regularly importing Allspice in 1737, and while other new world imports like sugar and coffee were dominating the rest of Europe during this time, Allspice did gain a loyal following in England and it even became commonly called English Spice.

Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812 in what was known at the time as the Patriotic War, and legend has it that the Russian soldiers put allspice in their boots to keep their feet warm.

The first mention of Allspice in an American cookbook was in “American Cookery” published in 1796. In this cookbook was a recipe for “pompkin pudding” (not a typo and today this is called pumpkin pie) that called for both allspice and ginger.

Allspice Cultivation

Allspice thrives in the tropical Mexico climates of Veracruz and Tabasco and in the Sierra Norte de Puebla area in the state of Puebla, where the mountain mist encourages the growth of the Allspice tree.

In Mexico, the Allspice tree, a tropical evergreen, will often reach a height of between 25-60 feet. The trees don’t begin to bear fruit for about 5-6 years and reach full fruit bearing maturity at 20 years. There have been some mentions of Allspice trees producing berries for up to 100 years. Allspice trees are either male or female, although some male trees produce a small number of berries. Female trees produce 10-20 pounds of berries each year.

The Allspice tree has smooth whitish - grey bark that peels in thin sheets like birch trees. The leaves are large, about 8” long and 2” wide, oblong shaped with a leathery appearance, a glossy green color and they’re quite aromatic. Small white flowers begin appearing in mid summer and are about 1/4" across and borne in many flowered pyramidal cymes originating from the leaf axils. The small white flowers quickly develop into clusters of green pea-sized berries with 1 or 2 seeds each.

Berries are picked when they’ve reached full size and while there are still green (unripe).  Because the trees are so tall, mechanical harvesting is difficult, so hand picking is still typically used. The harvested berries are ‘sweated’ for a few days, and then they’re spread out on a concrete platform called a ‘barbeque’ where they finish the drying process. Once completely dried they are a dark reddish brown in color.

Mexico is the world's largest exporter of Allspice.

Cooking with Allspice

In the southern Mexico city of Oaxaca, Allspice is used in some of the area's signature mole sauces. In Yucatán (the Mexican state known for its ancient Mayan ruins and Gulf of Mexico beaches), Allspice is paired with Canela (also known as Mexican cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon) and Mexican oregano in the spice blend “recado blanco” which is used to make a spicy soup or stew. In Jalisco (a western Mexican state known for mariachi music and tequila), it is found in the Mexican stew Birria.

Allspice is more popular in the West, especially in American, British, Caribbean, German, North African and Scandinavian cuisines. It is not really used in Asian cooking.

The Caribs (American Indian people who inhabited the Lesser Antilles and parts of the neighboring South American coast at the time of the Spanish conquest) used Allspice for preserving meat and fish. The Spanish assimilated this practice and used this same meat preserving technique on voyages to and from Europe.

The British add allspice to stews, sauces and pickled vegetables. In the Caribbean, it’s added to barbecues, curries, stews and sweet potatoes. Whole allspice berries are added to “pimento dram”, a popular Jamaican drink, and allspice is a key ingredient in Jamaican Jerk seasoning. In Germany, Allspice is used in biscuits, cakes, pies, pot roasts, relishes and stuffings. In North African cuisines, Allspice is added to “Mrouzia” a lamb tagine and is also a signature spice in the seasoning blends Berbere and Moroccan Vegetable Rub.

Use allspice to flavor vegetables like carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips and winter squash, soups (especially chicken, tomato and vegetable), apple pie, fruit compote, pumpkin pie, chili sauces, plum pudding, rice pudding, cookies, gingerbread, spice cakes, sweet rolls, pickles, relishes, gravies, hamburgers, meatballs, lamb stew, beef roast, stew and meat marinades.

Allspice also works well in combination with chili powder, cloves, coriander, garlic, ginger, mustard, pepper, rosemary and thyme.

In the countries of origin (especially in Mexico), fresh Allspice tree leaves are often used for cooking or smoking meat. They have a different flavor, woodier aroma with less intense notes than the berry. Allspice leaves have a similar texture to bay leaves and are often infused during cooking and then removed before serving. Unlike bay leaves, they lose much flavor when dried so there is not much of a commercial market for them.

What Does Mexican Allspice Taste Like?

Allspice is warm and sweetly pungent with floral undertones. Mexican Allspice is mellower and not quite as sweet as Jamaican or Central American grown Allspice.

Helpful Hints

Allspice can be used as a substitute, measure for measure, for cinnamon, cloves or nutmeg. Conversely, to make a substitution for allspice, combine one part nutmeg with two parts each of cinnamon and cloves.

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