Ground Jamaican Allspice

Stir it into desserts and baked goods, cakes, pies, and spiced fruit, wherever a recipe wants warmth without reaching for four separate jars. It's also the backbone of homemade jerk seasoning, and it belongs in savory cooking too, chili, curry, and stew all benefit from the depth it adds.

Novo Coffee sources Jamaican Allspice from us for a spiced, housemade syrup including also including cinnamon and clove.

Shop all our Chef-Approved spices and blends.

Allspice comes from the dried, unripe berry of the Myrtle pepper tree, native to Jamaica and the Caribbean. Despite the name, it isn't a blend of anything, it's a true single-origin spice whose natural oil just happens to taste like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ginger simultaneously.

Jamaican allspice specifically carries the highest essential oil content of any growing region, which is the actual reason it's considered the best in the world rather than just a marketing claim. It's the essential ingredient in true Jamaican jerk seasoning, and it earns a place well beyond that in baking, BBQ sauces, and warm savory dishes.

Ground Jamaican Allspice FAQ

What is in allspice?

Allspice is made from dried Jamaican berries of the Myrtle pepper tree. It's a single spice, not a blend, but its natural oil tastes like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ginger all at once.

What is Jamaican allspice?

Jamaican allspice is the dried berry sourced specifically from Jamaica, which carries the highest essential oil content of any allspice-growing region. It's an essential ingredient in BBQ sauces and true Jamaican jerk recipes.

What are other names for allspice?

Even though it's a single spice, people sometimes call it Jamaican allspice, allspice seasoning, or mistakenly refer to it as a Caribbean allspice blend, since the flavor tastes like a combination of several spices.

Is allspice the same as a mix of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg?

No. Allspice is a true single-ingredient spice from one berry. It only tastes like a blend because its natural essential oil contains flavor compounds similar to those spices.

What's the difference between whole and ground allspice?

Ground allspice releases flavor faster and works well in baking, where it needs to distribute evenly through a batter. Whole allspice berries hold their flavor longer in storage and are better suited to slow-simmered dishes like stews, pickling brines, or mulled drinks, where they can be removed before serving.