# Let's talk all things Jamaican-Jerk style: recipes, techniques, etc **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [June 30, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797 "2020-06-30T15:10:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/41 "2021-05-06T23:58:47Z")
My jar of Walkerswood Hot & Spicy lists the following ingredients: Scallion, hot peppers, salt, black pepper, pimento\* (ground), nutmeg, citric acid, brown sugar, thyme leaves. \*aka allspice ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/42 "2021-05-07T00:47:44Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > … pimento\* (ground), nutmeg, citric acid, brown sugar, thyme leaves. > > \*aka allspice Huh? Allspice isn’t pimento. Pimento is a pepper. ETA: I see, allspice is _Piment **a** _, a myrtle, which is really close in spelling to piment **o**. I know a spice company that adds them to one of their peppercorn blends. It’s a very interesting flavor. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/43 "2021-05-07T02:09:31Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > ETA: I see, allspice is _Piment **a** _ , a myrtle, which is really close in spelling to piment **o**. I know a spice company that adds them to one of their peppercorn blends I just looked at the jar again and it clearly says pimento. The [official website calls it ‘all spice’](http://www.walkerswood.com/product_traditional_jerk_seasoning.php) but [also pimento](http://www.walkerswood.com/product_jerk.php). It seems the term can mean different things in different parts of the world. My understanding is that the ‘best’ jerk is cooked over coals with pimento/allspice wood for smoke. That kind of wood is not easy to find around here. However, I think we can still get Without a Jamaican connection, pimento means a mild red chile most commonly used in olives & cheese. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/44 "2021-05-07T02:13:50Z")
> **[Definition of PIMENTO](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pimento)** > > allspice; pimiento… See the full definition ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/45 "2021-05-07T04:16:41Z")
Allspice isn’t pepper. It’s called “Jamaican pepper” but that’s a misnomer. It does have a lot of similarities in looks and taste, though. From [Huffpost](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-allspice_n_5671b849e4b0dfd4bcc044e9) (bolding mine): > As a berry, it looks like a large peppercorn, **and in fact Columbus (being the great guesstimator that he was) [\*incorrectly assumed](https://books.google.com/books?id=Au3RBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA49&dq=allspice&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjMhM_1k-HJAhWC4iYKHQgVAewQ6AEIRDAE#v=onepage&q=allspice&f=false) the allspice that he “discovered” in 1494 was pepper** and brought it back to Spain, the only country then to import allspice. > > **For centuries, Spaniards called allspice “pimiento,” or pepper, and it’s sometimes still referred to as Jamaican pepper today.** \* [Top 100 Exotic Food Plants - Ernest Small - Google Books](https://books.google.com/books?id=Au3RBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA49&dq=allspice&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjMhM_1k-HJAhWC4iYKHQgVAewQ6AEIRDAE#v=onepage&q=allspice&f=false) > “Pimiento” (often rendered pimento) is derived from the Castilian Spanish word for black pepper. Allspice was initially called pimienta by the Spaniards, the only Europeans to import it during the sixteenth century. The use of the terms pimiento and pimento should not be confused with pimiento (or pimento chile peppers (_Capsicum annuum_ L.,) a type of chile pepper with thick walls, used fresh in salads for color and flavor, in cooking, in canning… > > Columbus called allspice “pepper,” a name which still persists as “Jamaica pepper” and “clove pepper.” The fruits of allspice are very similar to peppercorns… [Allspice History](https://www.gourmetsleuth.com/articles/detail/allspice): > ### Allspice History > > Spanish explorers happened on to the Allspice plant in Jamaica in the beginning of the 16th century. **The Spaniards thought the fruits look like pepper so they gave it the name of Jamaican Pepper and pimento from the word “pimienta”, Spanish for peppercorn.** [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pepper) on black pepper: > **Black pepper** ( _Piper nigrum_ ) is a [flowering](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering_plant) [vine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vine) in the family [Piperaceae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piperaceae), cultivated for its [fruit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit), known as a **peppercorn** [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allspice) on allspice: > **Allspice** , also known as **Jamaica pepper** , **myrtle pepper** , **pimenta** , or **pimento** ,[[a]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allspice#cite_note-pimento-2) is the dried unripe [berry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry_(botany)) of _ **Pimenta dioica** _ , a [midcanopy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopy_(forest)) tree native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico, and Central America, now cultivated in many warm parts of the world. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/46 "2021-05-07T10:01:49Z")
Did anyone say it’s pepper? I was pointing out that “pimento” means “allspice” in this context f and that it’s not some strange definition. It’s the very first in Merriam Webster. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/47 "2021-05-07T11:50:47Z")
Thanks for the education, everyone. Funny, all these years I was thinking allspice is some kind of combination of cinnamon and nutmeg and other things one associates with baking 🤦‍♀️ ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/48 "2021-05-07T13:10:15Z")
That’s a common misunderstanding. Some people thinks it’s like a five spice powder kind of blend. It’s its own singular spice. I grew up with the stuff in Polish cooking, of all things, where it’s known as (translated) “the English herb/spice.” ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/49 "2021-05-07T13:47:13Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Did anyone say it’s pepper? I was pointing out that “pimento” means “allspice” in this context f and that it’s not some strange definition. Well, as I said, it’s not the same pimento. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/50 "2021-05-07T14:30:24Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > My understanding is that the ‘best’ jerk is cooked over coals with pimento/allspice wood for smoke. That kind of wood is not easy to find around here One tip I read somewhere is, in lieu of pimento wood, to throw allspice berries on the coals for a more authentic jerk smoke flavor. I bought a large bag of allspice berries online that wasn’t too expensive and I’ve been doing this, along with pieces of smoking wood like apple. Can’t say i’ve noticed a huge difference in flavor though. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/51 "2021-05-07T16:33:37Z")
Except it is. It’s also pimiento/pepper but it has two meanings in English. Read the dictionary link again. The tree and the wood are even called pimento tree and pimento wood. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/52 "2021-05-07T16:36:07Z")
I’ve done that, and another trick is also to use bay leaves as pimento leaves are also sometimes used to cook it, and they are similar to bay, I guess. Look up the recipe on Serious Eats for more info. Their technique with the bay leaves actually does impart some interesting flavor: ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/53 "2021-05-07T16:48:07Z")
Ah, I read the first post referring to it as pimento too quickly. You’re both right, of course. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797/54 "2021-05-07T18:35:52Z")
Thanks, I will have to try that! Reminds me, I need to go on an Indian grocery run. You can buy a big bag of bay leaves for a lot less than those little jars of bay leaves at a typical grocery store. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-all-things-jamaican-jerk-style-recipes-techniques-etc/913797.md?page=2)