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Allspice, Pimienta
Dark-brown berry, similar in size to juniper, which combines the flavours of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
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Anise
Anise contains liquorice-like components and is sweet and highly aromatic. Anise is used in many different forms as a flavouring spice in cooking, confectionary making, baking and making alcoholic beverages.
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Annatto
This slightly musky-flavoured reddish yellow spice, ground from the seeds of a flowering tree, is native to the West Indies and the Latin tropics. Islanders store their annatto seeds in oil--giving the oil a beautiful colour. Saffron or turmeric can be substituted.
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Arrowroot
Neutral tasting starch extracted from the root of tropical tubers, used as a last-minute thickening agent for sauces.
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Bay Rum
The bay rum tree is related to the evergreen that produces allspice. Used to flavour soups, stews, the small dark bay rum berry is called "maleguetta pepper" in the French West Indies.
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Cardamom
The plant itself is a pungent and aromatic herbaceous perennial that grows anywhere between two to four metres in height. The cardamom fruit is a three-sided greenish pod approximately a centimetre or so long, which contains several dark, sometimes black seeds.
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Coriander
The fruits (seeds) and the leaves can be used in cooking, the former known as a spice and one of the major constituents of curry dishes.
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Clove
The clove is the acutely aromatic dried flower bud of a tree belonging to the family Myrtaceae.
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Cumin
The spice cumin is derived from the crushed or powdered dried seeds of the cumin plant, although the seeds may be used whole in some dishes.
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Ginger
Is a spice we commonly call root ginger and it is actually the underground stem, not the root of the ginger plant.
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Garlic
Is a member of the onion family as such is a close relative of the onion, chives, shallots and leeks.
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Fennel
Fennel is a member of the Apiaceae family of herbs and is highly aromatic and strong flavoured.
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Nutmeg
Jamaican cooks are insistent--when cooking their recipes, skip over the pre-ground nutmeg sold in supermarkets and buy the spice whole, grating it only as needed. The inner kernel of the fruit is more flavorful when freshly grated. The spicy sweet flavor of this aromatic spice makes it an excellent addition to cakes, puddings and drinks.
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Pimento
The name refers to the allspice berry, which has the taste of nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper and clove.
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Scotch Bonnet Peppers
The fiery Scotch bonnet pepper, ranging in colours from yellow to orange to red, is considered the leading hot pepper in Jamaica, though several other varieties have recently been developed.
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Tamarind
This decorative tree produces brown pods containing a sweet and tangy pulp that's used for flavouring everything from beverages to curries and sauces--including Angostura bitters and Pickapeppa sauce.
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