Spice Guide: Allspice

Thursday, 25 August 2011

Genus:  Pimenta

Species:  P. dioica

Allspice is the dried, unripe fruit of an evergreen tree that is around 10 metres high.  It is native to Jamaica, Cuba and Guatemala.  The round fruit is 4 to 6 millimetres in diameter and is harvested three to four months after flowering, when it is fully developed but still green.  The reddish-brown berries are extracted from the fruit and then dried in the sun.

Allspice has a warm, pungent taste and the aroma of cloves with sweet, floral background notes.  Its flavour has a hint of cinnamon, mace and nutmeg, with peppery overtones.

Allspice is a vital ingredient of Caribbean cooking.  It is an indispensable spice used in jerk seasoning (especially for meats such as pork and chicken) and is used extensively in Jamaican cuisine.  In Europe it is commonly used in marinades and pickling, and in Asian countries is present in a number of curries and rice dishes such as pilafs. Allspice also features in western cooking commonly being called for in baking and dessert recipes.

Try out these fantastic recipes which  feature allspice:

Kugelhof

Chocolate Christmas Pudding

Spicy Chicken Burgers with Mango Chutney

Christmas Cake

Mulled Wine

Did you know? 

The name allspice was invented in the 1600s by the English, who thought it combined the flavour of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.