Allspice: Flavor, Cooking Use and Health Facts
Allspice is warm and sweet, like cinnamon, clove and nutmeg in one berry, and is used in jerk, pickling and baking; human research on health is lacking, and the main caution is bleeding with large medicinal amounts.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
In the kitchen at a glance
Flavor:Warm / woodySweetHot / pungent
Aroma: Warm and sweet, a bit like clove, cinnamon and nutmeg together.
Used in: baking, desserts, soups and stews, grilling and rubs, pickling
Usual amount in food: USDA lists 1.9 g per level teaspoon of ground allspice; we found no source that sets a usual recipe amount.
What it is
Allspice is the dried, unripe berry of a tree called Pimenta dioica, in the myrtle family. [1] The tree is native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico and Central America, and Jamaica is still the leading source. [1] It is also called Jamaica pepper, pimento or pimenta. [1] Despite the name, it is one spice, not a blend. English speakers coined the name in 1621 because the taste seemed to combine several spices. [1]Flavor and aroma
Allspice tastes warm and sweet, with a mild peppery bite. Many cooks describe it as a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. [1] The berry oil is mostly eugenol, the same compound that is the main flavor of clove. [2] The sources we read say eugenol must be kept during drying, so the berries are picked green and dried carefully. [1] They turn brown and look like large, smooth peppercorns. [1]The sources we read do not describe how heat or grinding changes the taste, so we give no rules here.
How it is used in cooking
It is sold as whole berries and as ground powder. Whole berries go into soups, stews and pickling liquids. Ground allspice goes into sauces, meatballs and baked goods. [1]- Caribbean: a key part of Jamaican jerk seasoning. The wood is also used to smoke jerk, and a liqueur called pimento dram is made in parts of the Caribbean. [1]
- Mexico: used in many dishes under the name pimienta gorda. [1]
- Middle East: flavors stews, meat dishes and tomato sauce. [1]
- North America and Britain: sausages, curry powders, pickling, pumpkin pie spice, Cincinnati-style chili and brown sauce. [1]
- Poland and Scandinavia: very common in meat dishes, soups and stews, and Swedish meatballs. [1]
- Leaves: the fresh leaves look like bay leaves and are used in a similar way. [1]
The sources we read do not say when to add it, whether to toast it, or what to use instead, so we give no substitute rules here.
Normal food amounts
| Measure | Grams | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon, ground | 1.9 g | USDA [5] |
| 1 tablespoon, ground | 6.0 g | USDA [5] |
| Typical recipe amount | Not found | We opened no source that states one |
What one teaspoon (1.9 g) of ground allspice provides, calculated from USDA values per 100 g:
| Nutrient | One teaspoon |
|---|---|
| Energy | about 5 kcal |
| Fiber | about 0.4 g |
| Calcium | about 13 mg |
| Potassium | about 20 mg |
| Iron | about 0.1 mg |
| Manganese | about 0.06 mg |
The USDA SR Legacy data are from 2018, and real products vary. [5] We did not compare these numbers with official daily values, and they are small, so we do not call allspice a "good source" of anything. A pinch is mostly flavor.
Buying, storing and preparing
- Forms: whole dried berries, ground powder, and essential oil (oil is not a kitchen product).
- Quality and storage: the sources we opened give no shelf life and no quality test. Because the flavor comes from a volatile oil, a cool, dark, closed container is a sensible choice. [1]
- Mix-ups: one review notes that commercial allspice may include a related species, Pimenta racemosa. [2]
- Grinding at home: the sources we read give no advice on this.
Health: what research says
Eating allspice in cooking is very different from taking concentrated products, and we found almost no human research on either.Food amounts vs supplements
| In normal cooking | In supplements and extracts | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical amount | About 1.9 g per teaspoon (USDA); no usual recipe amount found [5] | No reliable medicinal amount is established [3] |
| What studies mostly used | We found no human studies of allspice in food | Lab and animal studies of extracts and compounds [2] |
| What we can say about benefit | Nothing about health benefit can be said from food use | A 2012 review reports no human clinical trials [2] |
| Main safety limit | Commonly used as a food flavoring [3] | Possible slowing of blood clotting; not enough information on larger amounts [3] |
What the evidence shows
| Use | What the sources found | Strength of evidence | Form and population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any health use of allspice in food | No study found | Insufficient evidence | Food amounts |
| Pain and infection | A reference monograph says eugenol is thought to help, but rates the evidence as insufficient. [3] | Insufficient evidence | Medicinal use; no trial described [3] |
| Blood pressure | A review describes lower blood pressure in rats; no human trial. [2] | Lab or animal only | Extracts in rats [2] |
| Antioxidant activity | Seen mainly in lab tests. [2] | Lab or animal only | Lab assays [2] |
| Cancer | Cell studies of Pimenta extracts and compounds; the authors say the data do not show an effect of diet or allspice in people. [2] | Lab or animal only | Cell lines [2] |
| Menopause symptoms | One cell study found partial estrogen-like activity of an extract. [2] | Lab or animal only | Cell-based work [2] |
Traditional use for digestion, colds and pain comes from folk medicine and anecdote, not trials. [2]
Official statements
- WHO/JECFA (eugenol, the main compound), 1982, kept in 2005: acceptable daily intake of 0 to 2.5 mg per kg of body weight. This is for eugenol as a flavoring, not for allspice. [4]
- We found no EMA, EFSA, FDA or NCCIH statement on allspice itself in the sources we opened.
Related pages
Health connections for Allspice
What research links to this spice, and how strong the evidence is. Most studies use concentrated extracts or doses far above what you eat; each card says which.
Blood pressure (animal findings)
Lab or animal research onlyA review describes lower blood pressure in rats given allspice extracts. No human trial was found.
Supplements: Lab and animal finding for extracts; says nothing about food amounts.
Antioxidant activity
Lab or animal research onlyAllspice extracts and compounds show antioxidant activity in lab tests.
Supplements: Lab finding only; not shown for food or supplements in people.
Cell studies on cancer cell lines
Lab or animal research onlyExtracts and compounds slowed some cancer cell lines in lab studies. The authors say the data do not show an effect of diet or allspice in people.
Supplements: Lab finding only; no human data.
Estrogen-like activity in cells
Lab or animal research onlyOne cell-based study found partial estrogen-like activity of a leaf extract.
Supplements: Lab finding only.
Pain and infection (traditional use)
Not enough evidenceA reference monograph says eugenol is thought to help pain and infection, but rates the evidence as insufficient. Digestion, cold and pain uses come from folk medicine.
Supplements: No reliable medicinal amount or benefit is established; food amounts are not studied for health.
Connected topics
Open a group to see how each topic connects and how strong the evidence is.
Functional actions (1)
- AntioxidantLab or animal research only
Antioxidant activity is seen in lab tests only; it is not shown to help in people.
Root causes (1)
- Medication Side EffectsDocumented risk
A reference monograph rates a moderate interaction between medicinal allspice and blood thinners (bleeding). It concerns supplement amounts, not cooking.
Conditions & symptoms (1)
- Prolonged Bleeding TimeDocumented risk
A reference monograph says medicinal allspice might slow clotting and raise bleeding risk with blood thinners or around surgery. Not described for food amounts.
Documented risks and interactions (5)
- May slow blood clotting. A reference monograph says allspice might slow clotting, and may add to bleeding risk with blood thinners, antiplatelet drugs and some herbs. It rates the drug interaction as moderate.
- Surgery: bleeding concern. The same monograph advises stopping medicinal allspice at least 2 weeks before planned surgery.
- Allergy. Some people are allergic to allspice.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. There is not enough reliable information on medicinal amounts; the monograph advises staying with food amounts.
- Eugenol intake figure. WHO/JECFA gives an acceptable daily intake of 0 to 2.5 mg per kg body weight for eugenol, the main compound in allspice oil. This is for eugenol as a flavoring, not for allspice.
Frequently asked questions
Is allspice sweet?
It is warm and sweet with a mild peppery bite, often compared to cinnamon, nutmeg and clove together. [1]
Is allspice a mix of spices?
No. It is the dried berry of one tree, Pimenta dioica. [1]
How much is normal?
USDA lists 1.9 g per teaspoon of ground allspice. [5] We found no source for a usual recipe amount.
Is it safe in pregnancy?
A reference monograph says food amounts are fine to stay with and there is not enough information on larger medicinal amounts. [3] Ask your midwife or doctor about supplements.
Can I take it with medicines?
In food amounts, we found no reported problem. A reference monograph rates a moderate interaction between medicinal allspice and blood thinners. [3] Ask a pharmacist before using supplements.
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety in more detail
- Medicines: a reference monograph rates the interaction with blood thinners and antiplatelet drugs as moderate, saying it might raise the risk of bruising and bleeding, and says it might add to herbs such as garlic, ginger and ginkgo. [3] This is about medicinal amounts; we found no report tied to normal cooking.
- Pregnancy: not enough reliable information on medicinal amounts; the monograph advises staying with food amounts. [3]
- Breastfeeding: same advice as pregnancy: food amounts only. [3]
- Children: the sources we read do not describe allspice in children.
- Allergy: the monograph says some people are allergic to allspice. [3] The sources we read give no details on cross-reactions.
- Liver and kidney: the sources we read do not describe liver or kidney problems.
- Surgery: the monograph says allspice might slow clotting and advises stopping medicinal use at least 2 weeks before planned surgery. [3] This is a secondary reference; ask your surgical team.
- Quality and contamination: the sources we read give no contamination data. Allspice may be mixed with a related species. [2]
- Amounts that cause trouble: the monograph says there is not enough reliable information on larger medicinal amounts. [3] Eugenol, the main compound, has an official intake figure (below), but allspice itself has no such figure in the sources we read.
References
- Wikipedia — Allspice (cites the Oxford English Dictionary, Bon Appetit and other works). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allspice (accessed 2026-10-24)
- Zhang L, Lokeshwar BL — Medicinal properties of the Jamaican pepper plant Pimenta dioica and allspice. Curr Drug Targets 2012; author manuscript. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3891794/ (accessed 2026-10-24)
- TRC Natural Medicines monograph — Allspice (secondary reference, read via vital.ly). https://vital.ly/trc/Allspice/monograph=44 (accessed 2026-10-24)
- WHO/JECFA via INCHEM — Eugenol (JECFA No. 1529) evaluation summary. https://inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jeceval/jec_841.htm (accessed 2026-10-24)
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018) — Spices, allspice, ground (fdc_id 171315), per-100 g values and household portions from the site's USDA data file.