Exotic, yet simple, spices add the signature flavors to Caribbean cuisine.
Spices help you create flavorful, original dishes.
| Spice | Description | Flavor | Cooking Use |
| Allspice | Pea-size berry of the evergreen pimiento tree. Available whole or ground. | It is not a blend of all spices but tastes like a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. | Use in Jamaican jerk seasoning and in soups, stews, and desserts. |
| Cayenne Pepper | Made from dried pods of pungent chili peppers. | Cayenne pepper has little aroma, but it is extremely hot to taste. | Use to “heat up” barbecue sauces, marinades and dips like salsa. |
| Clove | Dried unopened flower bud of the tropical evergreen clove tree. Available whole or ground. | Sweetly pungent, astringent and strongly aromatic | Use whole cloves to “stud” hams and pork or use in soups. Ground cloves add depth to gingerbread, cookies, applesauce, muffins, and cakes. |
| Cumin | Pale green seed of a plant in the parsley family. Available in seed and ground form. | Powerful, sharp and slightly bitter | Use in curries and with chili powders. |
| Curry Powder | A blend of many spices, herbs, and seeds. | Sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy | Use to add a “kick” to soups, stews, marinades, burgers or chicken. |
| Ginger | A plant from tropical regions that is grown for its gnarled and bumpy root. Available fresh, dried, and ground. | Peppery and slightly sweet, while the aroma is pungent and spicy | Use in Asian and Indian soups, curries and meats. |
| Nutmeg | Seed from the nutmeg tree.(a tropical evergreen). Available ground or whole. | Pungent and sweet | Use in baked goods, custards, white sauces, and on fruits and vegetables, particularly potatoes, spinach, and squash. |
