# Spice
A spice is a plant part, such as a dried fruit, seed, bark, rhizome, or flower bud, used in small quantities to color, preserve, or add flavor to food, or as a medicine. Spices differ from herbs, which come from leafy green parts of plants, and they owe their effects to concentrated chemical compounds including phenylpropanoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and anthocyanins.[1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26560460/) The trade in spices shaped world history, driving European exploration in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and one spice, allspice, stands apart as the only major spice native to the Americas rather than Asia.[2](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2026/isde-ised/c12-54/C12-54-102-11-eng.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Definition | Plant parts used as colorants, preservatives, or medicine; sources include flower buds (cloves), rhizomes (ginger, turmeric), inner bark (cinnamon), and fruits or berries (black pepper, chili)[1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26560460/) • [3](https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/pharmaceuticals/pharmaceuticals-16-01451/article_deploy/pharmaceuticals-16-01451.pdf?version=1697114101) |
| Chemistry | Active compounds include phenylpropanoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and anthocyanins[1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26560460/) |
| Phytochemical load | Herbs and spices each contain about 3,000 phytochemicals on average[4](https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.17286) |
| Preservation | Spices can prevent the growth of spoilage microorganisms and inhibit or regulate pathogenic organisms, contributing to food safety[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8801816/) |
| Antioxidant ranking | Clove, cinnamon, and allspice showed the highest antioxidant capacity among commonly tested spices; clove and allspice each exceed 100 mmol total antioxidants per 100 g[6](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023643813003320) • [7](https://jn.nutrition.org/content/133/5/1286.abstract) |
| Allspice identity | The dried unripe berries of *Pimenta dioica* (Myrtaceae), a tree native from southern Mexico through Central America and the Caribbean[8](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A196799-2/general-information) |
| World supply | Jamaica represents around 70% of world production of allspice[9](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073208/) |
| Key oil component | Eugenol makes up 60–90% of allspice berry oil and more than 90% of leaf oil[10](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10412905.2022.2032423) |
## What counts as a spice
Spices come from desiccated botanical components: flower buds and blooms such as cloves and saffron, subterranean rhizomes such as ginger and turmeric, inner bark such as cinnamon, reproductive structures such as the fruits and berries of cloves, chili, and black pepper, and embryonic propagules such as cumin.[3](https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/pharmaceuticals/pharmaceuticals-16-01451/article_deploy/pharmaceuticals-16-01451.pdf?version=1697114101) The uses of spices have been known since long before modern chemistry, and interest in them persists because of the chemical compounds they contain.[1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26560460/)
**Chemistry and activity.** The characteristic aromas and biological effects of spices come from small molecules produced by the plants. Reviews of spice composition list phenylpropanoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and anthocyanins as the principal compound classes, and an analysis of herbs and spices estimates that each contains about 3,000 phytochemicals on average.[1](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26560460/) • [4](https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.17286) Bioactive components from spices are examined for possible benefits against coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, inflammation, cancers, and microbial, viral, and parasitic infections, alongside treatment with modern medicine.[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8801816/)
## Preservation and antioxidant capacity
Before refrigeration, spices helped preserve meats or masked the fact that food was past its prime, and their antimicrobial properties remain relevant today: spices can prevent the growth of spoilage microorganisms and inhibit or regulate the growth of pathogenic organisms, contributing to food safety.[2](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2026/isde-ised/c12-54/C12-54-102-11-eng.pdf) • [5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8801816/) [Laboratory](https://www.edgepedia.org/laboratory) studies bear this out in specific cases; one evaluation tested the toxicity of six spices, including allspice, cinnamon, and clove, toward *Salmonella* and the ability of inorganic salts to neutralize it.[11](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X23031927)
Spices are also among the densest dietary sources of antioxidants. In a comparison of methods for evaluating antioxidant capacity and phenolic compounds in common spices, clove, cinnamon, and allspice formed the high-capacity group, star anise and nutmeg the middle group, and anise, ginger, vanilla, fennel, cardamom, white pepper, and coriander the low group.[6](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023643813003320) An analysis of commercial spices in *The Journal of Nutrition* found that clove and allspice both contained more than 100 mmol total antioxidants per 100 g, while cinnamon, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram fell between 50 and 100 mmol per 100 g.[7](https://jn.nutrition.org/content/133/5/1286.abstract)
## Spices in cuisine
Spice use is not uniform across the world's cooking traditions. A study of spice usage patterns in regional Indian cuisines found a strong signature of negative food pairing: the more two ingredients share flavor compounds, the less often they co-occur in the same recipe, a pattern that contrasts with the positive food pairing reported in some Western cuisines and that holds independently of recipe size.[12](https://arxiv.org/abs/1502.03815) The same culinary system has a long history of health-centric dietary practices focused on disease prevention and health promotion.[12](https://arxiv.org/abs/1502.03815) An analysis linking phytochemicals to recipes found that herbs and spices carry much traditional knowledge of health benefits, and that inferred indication-phytochemical relationships rediscover known relationships at a rate of 40 percent among the top 100.[4](https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.17286)
## Allspice: the New World spice
Most spices reached Europe from Asia, but one originated in the Americas. A Canadian trade survey states that some spices were transplanted from their ancient homes to the New World, but only one, allspice, is native to that world.[2](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2026/isde-ised/c12-54/C12-54-102-11-eng.pdf)
**The plant.** Allspice is the dried unripe fruit of *Pimenta dioica* (L.) Merr., a tree in the myrtle family ([Myrtaceae](https://www.edgepedia.org/myrtaceae)) whose native range extends from southern Mexico through [Central America](https://www.edgepedia.org/central-america) and the Caribbean.[8](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A196799-2/general-information) It is a tropical evergreen usually 7 to 10 m tall but sometimes reaching 20 m, with smooth gray bark, aromatic elliptic leaves 5.5 to 17 cm long, and small white flowers in many-flowered panicles 5 to 12 cm long.[8](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A196799-2/general-information) [Individual](https://www.edgepedia.org/individual) trees are functionally dioecious, meaning plants are either male or female, although individual flowers are structurally hermaphrodite; the green berries turn purple when ripe, and the subglobose fruits measure 5 to 10 mm in diameter and are densely covered with convex oil-bearing glands.[8](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A196799-2/general-information) The species occurs naturally on hillsides of rainforests in Central America and the Caribbean and has also been reported from Venezuela; it is widely cultivated in its natural range and is rated least concern on the IUCN Red List.[8](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A196799-2/general-information)
**Name and history.** The flavor of allspice resembles a mixture of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and pepper, which gives the spice its name.[13](https://www.spices.res.in/crops/allspice) [Christopher Columbus](https://www.edgepedia.org/christopher-columbus)'s journal from his first voyage contains what is likely the earliest written mention of allspice: in its entry dated November 1492, it recounts that he presented true pepper (*[Piper](https://www.edgepedia.org/piper-plant) nigrum*) to the indigenous people of Cuba, who signaled that the plant grew on their island: a reference almost certainly to *Pimenta dioica*, since true pepper is native to Asia.[8](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A196799-2/general-information) Columbus, seeking peppers and other common spices of the day, gave it the name Jamaican pepper, from the Spanish "pimiento" for peppercorn, and the name "allspice" was later given by the British for its combined aroma.[14](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3891794/) Allspice was introduced into and shipped to Europe in the sixteenth century.[14](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3891794/)
**Production and uses.** Jamaica is the main distributor of *P. dioica*, representing around 70% of world production, followed by Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, and Belize.[9](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073208/) • [15](https://jamaicatimeline.com/industry/pimento.html) Jamaican allspice is renowned for containing a higher level of essential oils, which give it more flavor than allspice grown elsewhere in the Caribbean or Central America.[14](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3891794/) The essential oil is dominated by eugenol, at 60 to 90 percent in berry oil and more than 90 percent in leaf oil, followed by 1,8-cineole, α-humulene, β-caryophyllene, and cadinene derivatives.[10](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10412905.2022.2032423)
In the kitchen, allspice flavors meat stews, sausages, pickles, cakes, and puddings; it is the most important spice in Caribbean cuisines, central to Jamaican jerk seasoning, and the meats seasoned with it are cooked over *P. dioica* wood fire. It is an important component of pimento dram, a Jamaican alcoholic drink, and of liqueurs such as Benedictine and Chartreuse.[8](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A196799-2/general-information) • [14](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3891794/) An essential oil distilled from the berries and leaves is used in soap, perfumes, and aromatherapy, and the wood is used for walking sticks and umbrella handles.[8](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A196799-2/general-information) In traditional medicine, allspice has been used to treat digestive disorders and as a remedy for corns, neuralgia, and rheumatism, and the oil shows antioxidant, bactericidal, and fungicidal activity.[8](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A196799-2/general-information) Extracts of *Pimenta* leaves have more recently been used as food fumigants to preserve the freshness and sterility of meat and poultry products.[14](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3891794/)
## References
1. [Spice use in food: Properties and benefits, PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26560460/)
2. [Spices for Canadians, Foreign Trade (Department of Trade and Commerce, Ottawa, November 27, 1954)](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2026/isde-ised/c12-54/C12-54-102-11-eng.pdf)
3. [Spices emanate from desiccated botanical components, Pharmaceuticals 16(1451), MDPI](https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/pharmaceuticals/pharmaceuticals-16-01451/article_deploy/pharmaceuticals-16-01451.pdf?version=1697114101)
4. [From Phytochemicals to Recipes: Health Indications and Culinary Uses of Herbs and Spices, arXiv](https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.17286)
5. [Culinary Spices in Food and Medicine: An Overview of Syzygium aromaticum, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8801816/)
6. [Comparison of methods for evaluation of the antioxidant capacity and phenolic compounds in common spices, ScienceDirect](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023643813003320)
7. [Several Culinary and Medicinal Herbs Are Important Sources of Dietary Antioxidants, The Journal of Nutrition](https://jn.nutrition.org/content/133/5/1286.abstract)
8. [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr., Plants of the World Online, Kew Science](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A196799-2/general-information)
9. ["Pepper": Different Spices, One Name, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073208/)
10. [Ethnobotanical, phytochemical, pharmacological properties and applications of Pimenta dioica L., Journal of Essential Oil Research](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10412905.2022.2032423)
11. [Sulfite Compounds as Neutralizers of Spice Toxicity for Salmonella, ScienceDirect](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X23031927)
12. [Spices form the basis of food pairing in Indian cuisine, arXiv](https://arxiv.org/abs/1502.03815)
13. [Allspice, ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research](https://www.spices.res.in/crops/allspice)
14. [Medicinal Properties of the Jamaican Pepper Plant Pimenta dioica and Allspice, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3891794/)
15. [Jamaica's Pimento (Allspice) Industry: History, Exports, and Cultural Impact](https://jamaicatimeline.com/industry/pimento.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Plants and algae › Seed plants › Other flowering plants › Nonmonocot genus-plus-species treatments*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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