Allspice (Pimenta dioica) is a small tropical tree whose dried unripe berries (in which eugenol is the main volatile oil) provide the spice called allspice (named so because it seems to combine the flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg). Allspice is believed to be native to the West Indies, southern Mexico, and Central America. Although Jamaica was the world's largest allspice exporter into the 1990s, in recent years this position has been held by Mexico. Guatemala and Honduras are also major exporters of allspice. (Vaughan and Geissler 1997)
