Worth The Hunt
The Caribbean Pantry · No.365 · Pimento & Allspice

Pimento & Allspice Worth the Hunt

Allspice is one plant — Pimenta dioica, called pimento in Jamaica — and its dried berry tastes like clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg at once, which is where the name comes from. It's the wood you smoke jerk over and the spice behind Caribbean stews and holiday baking. Pre-ground supermarket allspice goes flat fast; whole berries you grind yourself are a different spice entirely.

Published July 2026 · Updated 7 Jul 2026

How this list works. Every maker here is small or independent, actually ships what it makes, and earns its spot on merit — nobody pays to be listed. Whole pimento berries from independent spice houses and Caribbean sellers — grind them fresh and the pre-ground jar won't compare.
On each pick: $ typical price · our rating · ✈️ ships fast · 🚛 ground only · 🚜 local / limited
Jamaican Berries, Family Spice House

The Spice House

family-run spice house · whole Jamaican allspice
$$★★★★★✈️ Ships fast

An independent, family-run spice house selling whole Jamaican allspice berries — the origin prized for the most balanced clove-cinnamon-nutmeg profile. Whole berries hold their oils far longer than ground, so you grind to order. Freshly stocked and shipped fast.

Why it isn't on AmazonA specialist spice house moves inventory quickly and sells whole berries, so you're not buying pre-ground powder that lost its oils on a warehouse shelf months ago.

See it at The Spice House →
Caribbean Brand, Whole Pimento

Cool Runnings Foods

Caribbean brand · whole pimento (allspice)
$★★★★✈️ Ships fast

A Caribbean food brand selling whole pimento berries under the island name, aimed at cooks who use allspice the Jamaican way — in jerk, stew, and rice-and-peas. Buying it from a Caribbean label keeps it in the culinary context it came from. Sold in cooking quantities, not a tiny grocery jar.

Why it isn't on AmazonA Caribbean brand sells pimento in the amount you'll actually use for jerk and stew, at a fraction of the per-ounce price of a supermarket spice jar.

See it at Cool Runnings Foods →
Single-Origin, Direct-Trade

Burlap & Barrel

single-origin allspice, traceable to one region
$$★★★★✈️ Ships fast

A single-origin spice company selling traceable allspice bought directly from growers. Their berries come from Guatemalan cloud forest rather than Jamaica — a different origin, and they say so — but the freshness and traceability are the draw. Whole and aromatic, shipped direct.

Why it isn't on AmazonDirect-trade, single-origin spice is bought recently and traceably from the farm, which is why it smells sharp and alive next to a commodity jar of unknown age.

See it at Burlap & Barrel →
Caribbean-Owned Since 1993

Sam's Caribbean Marketplace

West Hempstead, NY · whole pimento + island spices
$★★★★✈️ Ships fast

The Morris family's Caribbean-owned marketplace carries whole pimento alongside the thyme, scotch bonnet, and scallion that build a jerk or a brown stew. One box for the spice and everything around it. Same-day shipping on orders by noon EST.

Why it isn't on AmazonA Caribbean-owned shop sells pimento next to the other island seasonings you need, so you're not ordering one spice at a time from four sites.

See it at Sam's Caribbean Marketplace →
Open Spot

Make or grow exceptional pimento & allspice?

This seat's open on purpose — we won't pad the list to hit a number. If you ship real pimento & allspice direct, it's earned, not sold.

Add your brand →
Straight Answers
Pimento & Allspice FAQ
Are pimento and allspice the same thing?

Yes — 'pimento' is the Jamaican name for allspice (Pimenta dioica), and it's a single berry, not a blend. The English name 'allspice' comes from its taste, which suggests clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Don't confuse it with pimiento, the red pepper stuffed in olives, which is unrelated.

Why buy whole berries instead of ground allspice?

Whole berries keep their aromatic oils sealed inside until you crush them, so they stay potent for a year or more, while pre-ground allspice fades within months. Grind what you need in a spice mill or mortar and the difference in aroma is obvious. Whole berries also let you toss them into stews, brines, and jerk marinades to fish out later.

Is Jamaican allspice better than allspice from elsewhere?

Jamaican pimento is widely considered the benchmark for its balanced, complex flavor and higher oil content, which is why so many recipes specify it. Allspice from Guatemala, Honduras, or Mexico is perfectly good and sometimes more available. Single-origin sellers label where theirs is grown, so you can choose — the key quality marker is freshness, not just country.

What do I use allspice for in Caribbean cooking?

It's the backbone of jerk (both in the rub and as the pimento wood you smoke over), and it flavors brown stew, curries, rice and peas, escovitch, and Christmas black cake. A little goes a long way — a few berries or a quarter teaspoon ground per dish. It also carries the sorrel drink and many spiced holiday recipes.

Make or grow real pimento & allspice and think you belong here? Tell us → — features are on merit, never for sale.

Some "see it at…" links are affiliate links — if you buy through one, 5best2buy may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never costs the maker anything, and it never decides who makes the list. The list is the list.
© 2026 5best2buy · Worth The Hunt · No.365