What Is Allspice, and Which Dishes Use It?

The berries of the allspice tree are picked while green and dried in the sun. As they dry, they become dark brown, hard, slightly rough-surfaced berries. They resemble black peppercorns but are a little larger and more uniform. When crushed, they release the aroma that explains the name allspice: the warmth of cinnamon, the sharpness of cloves, and the rounded note of nutmeg come together. That is also why the spice is called by a name in other languages that suggests several spices combined.

In Turkish cuisine, allspice is best known as an ingredient in iç pilav. Added alongside cinnamon to the rice pilaf cooked with onion, pine nuts, and currants, it gives the rice a sweet, warm aroma. The same spice is used in the filling for olive oil–braised stuffed peppers, grape-leaf rolls, and cabbage rolls. The distinctive aroma of stuffed mussels also comes largely from allspice and cinnamon. In these dishes, allspice works as part of a blend with cinnamon and black pepper rather than on its own.

The amount is small. For iç pilav or dolma filling made with two 200 ml measures of rice, one 5 ml measure of ground allspice is enough for most palates; cinnamon is usually added in about half that amount. Too much allspice gives the filling a sharp, medicinal aroma and flavor and can mask the taste of the rice or mussels. When trying it for the first time, use a little less than the recipe amount; you can taste the filling as it cooks and adjust the seasoning. Add the allspice to the pilaf liquid or filling with the onion, at the beginning of cooking.

Whole allspice berries can also be used. Add a few whole berries to stock, boiled dishes, pickles, or brine; they slowly release their aroma as the food cooks and are removed before serving. In Middle Eastern cuisine, allspice is often used in meat dishes, meatball mixtures, and spice blends. In Caribbean cuisine, it is a foundational spice in marinades for grilled meat. In sweet dishes, it is used with cinnamon and cloves in spiced cakes, cookies, and fruit desserts.

If you buy allspice whole and grind it as needed, it retains its aroma much longer. Whole berries stay aromatic for more than a year in a sealed jar stored in a cool, dark cupboard; ground allspice, by contrast, noticeably loses its aroma within a few months. The berries are easy to grind in a spice grinder or mortar. A small blend of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg comes close to allspice’s aroma when it is unavailable, but iç pilav and stuffed mussels call for allspice’s own flavor. Do not store ground allspice in the same jar as black pepper: although they look alike, their flavors are very different.