JAMAICA. Allspice has the aroma of cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon with a hint of mace and peppercorns. Pungent, sweet and warm, allspice is a key ingredient in Caribbean cuisine. Use whole allspice berries in soups, stews, pot roasts, sauerbraten, sauces, marinades, pickles and preserves. Whole Allspice adds flavor when poaching, boiling or steaming fish.
Whole Allspice can be ground in a pepper mill. It is also good when mixed with peppercorns for an interesting change from straight pepper. Also known as Jamaica Pepper, whole allspice berries are one of the peppercorns included in our Five Peppercorn Melange.
Allspice berries are the fruit of an evergreen tree indigenous to the West Indies, brought back to Europe by Columbus in 1494. In addition to its flavor, allspice was also valued for its preservative qualities. Also referred to as Jamaica Pepper, Myrtle Pepper, Pimenta, Pimento and English Pepper, early explorers thought they had found the far east and their coveted pepper. The name allspice was coined in the 17th century by the English who thought it combined the flavor of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.