Allspice (Pimenta dioica) is a dried unripe berry in the Myrtaceae family native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico, and Central America. A common warming spice, allspice has a comforting, autumnal aroma that comes from the antibacterial compound eugenol.

Now commonly cultivated in warm climates, allspice first became popular in the early 17th century because of its distinct flavor and aroma. The English named the botanical allspice' because it combined the sweet, warm flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove into one ingredient. While the botanical offers its own unique flavor properties, it is still often included in ingredients lists with those other warming spices to balance and bind them together.

The dried fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant, allspice is picked when green and unripe and left out to dry under the hot summer sun. These fruits are left until they're small and shrivelled, resembling peppercorns. In many parts of the world, allspice is called pimento' because the Spanish once mistook the botanical for black pepper, which is called pimienta.

The allspice we know and love, though, is actually just one part of the Pimenta dioica plant. The Pimenta dioica plant's leaves are harvested to be used in a similar capacity to bay leaves. In regions where allspice is a local crop, the wood of the Pimenta dioica is also used for smoking meats.

Native to Jamaica, allspice is an important ingredient in Jamaican cuisine like jerk seasoning, with its wood being used to smoke jerk. The spice makes its way into other cuisines as well, featuring prominently in Mexican cooking and in "pimento dram," an allspice liqueur produced in the West Indies. In the Levant, allspice is used to flavor stews, tomato sauces, and meat dishes, while in northern Europe, it's often found in sausage, curry powders, and in pickling.

In the US, allspice is reserved mostly for desserts and drinks, from pumpkin pie to mulled wine. Its sweet, dry aroma lends itself nicely to woodsy, comforting fragrances like Four Thieves, where it joins allspice and clove for a warm scent to balance the soothing herbal qualities of eucalyptus.