FRAGRANT, FIERY & TIMELESS

When the aroma of Caribbean cooking wafts over on a gentle breeze, the sweet, peppery fragrance of allspice is almost guaranteed to be a protagonist. Used in countless curries and stews, as well as in sweet treats and festive beverages, allspice is a store cupboard essential in any West Indian kitchen.

Despite its name, allspice is not a blend of several spices, but a single spice that captures the aromas of nutmeg, cinnamon and clove, with a hot, pepper top note. Native to the Caribbean and Central America, allspice comes from the dried berries of the Pimenta dioica tree, which are picked while green, dried in the sun, and then ground.

Early inhabitants of the region, such as the Taino and the Mayans, used the dried berries not only to add flavour and fragrance to their food but to pep up their chocolate. In folk medicine, allspice was something of a cure-all, too, used to treat everything from stomach aches and colds to joint pain and bruising. Packed with preservative properties, it was also used as an embalming agent.

Today, Jamaica produces the world’s finest allspice – the berries with the highest essential oil content that give the spice its distinctive flavour. The pimento tree’s wood is equally prized, used by chefs to smoke meats and add rich, aromatic depth.

Exported worldwide, allspice has found its way into a wide range of products, from pumpkin pies and pickled vegetables to perfumes and scented candles. But its most famous use remains as a key ingredient in authentic Jamaican jerk seasoning, where it delivers the complex fire and flavour that defines this beloved Caribbean blend.