Allspice in the Kitchen

It goes without saying that the spice features strongly in Jamaican cuisine, though you’d be hard put to find it in the shops. It is an essential ingredient in escabeche – a palate-tingling dish of raw fish preserved in lemon juice or vinegar with onions, chillies and spices. It is also used in jerk seasoning, a fiery paste for rubbing into goat, mutton and other hearty meats before barbecuing.

In the UK and North America, a jar of allspice is usually tucked away in every spice cupboard, ready for sprinkling into cake mixtures, desserts and pies. Wary though they may be of spices, the French include allspice in Quatre Épices, a traditional seasoning for sausages, pâtés and cured meats.