Allspice

About

Allspice berries come from the evergreen Pimenta dioica tree; they are picked unripe and sun-dried for about a week until reddish-brown. The best berries, richest in essential oil, come from Jamaica, where the spice is called pimento. Its name reflects a flavor that recalls several other spices at once, a resemblance chemistry confirms since it shares flavor compounds with them, alongside a sharp, clean edge of its own that cuts through fat and pairs well with citrus. It can also read as meaty, which is why it appears in many sausage recipes, valued both for flavor and its preservative effect. Germany and Italy use it heavily in charcuterie, and Scandinavian cooks add it to pickled herring.

Pairs well with allspice

• CiLemonA splash of lemon juice or vinegar is said to brighten and open up allspice's flavor.
• CiOrangeThe Allspice tangelo, a 1917 California hybrid of mandarin and pomelo/grapefruit, is noted for tasting distinctly of allspice alongside…
• FrTomatoAllspice's sweetness rounds out tomato's acidity in sauces and soups, similarly to cinnamon but less noticeably.
• SpCinnamonAllspice tastes like a blend of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, so equal parts of those three spices make a reasonable substitute when…
• RoChocolateAllspice makes a livelier substitute for vanilla as a chocolate flavoring, giving hot cocoa or cacao nibs a spicier, more assertive…
• CrCoconutAllspice was reportedly first brought to Europe as a proposed substitute for cardamom, despite tasting quite different from it.
• CiGingerBoth are prominent in Jamaican cooking; allspice adds extra warmth to gingerbread and spiced cakes.
• FfVanillaCrushed allspice berries steeped in vanilla extract add a fresh, generalized spiciness, similar to the way parsley rounds out an herb…
• SpPeppercornAllspice and black peppercorns combined in a pepper grinder give ground pepper a floral, carnation-like lift.
• CrRaisinEccles cakes-puff pastry filled with dried currants spiced with allspice and nutmeg-illustrate the pairing well.
• SuCauliflowerAllspice's clean, floral-spicy fragrance cuts through roasted cauliflower's earthiness and pairs especially well with a rich, cheesy…
• EaLentilAllspice is typically used as part of a larger spice blend rather than alone.
• GrChileAllspice and chile are the backbone of Jamaican jerk seasoning, a method with roots in the cooking of the Maroons, escaped slaves in…
• EaFava beanGround allspice is a key seasoning in vegetarian versions of haggis, where dried, skin-on fava beans stand in for offal and contribute a…
• GrSpinachAllspice's dominant clove note, similar to a quality found in basil, pairs well with spinach's earthy flavor.
• WoPistachioThe food writer Waverley Root described pistachios as having a naturally spicy quality; a pinch of allspice reinforces that character when…
• SpBay leafAllspice leaves and European bay leaves share a similar, though milder, fragrance and are used interchangeably in cooking.
• BeElderberryThe two combine in Pontack sauce, a traditional English condiment: elderberries are cooked in apple cider vinegar, strained, then simmered…
• GrCarawayPimento Dram, a Jamaican allspice liqueur made with rum, combines the sweet citrus-spice note of allspice with caraway's crisp, Nordic…