Allspice Vs Mixed Spice - No, They Aren't The Same!

Allspice and mixed spice both are food taste-enhancers that add a top-notch flavor and aroma to anything they are called for. Nevertheless, allspice vs mixed spice has some significant differences, and that is what we are going to address from our article this time.

Allspice is, in fact, a single spice or a dried berry from the Pimenta dioica tree, while mixed spice is a blend of warm spices. It is basically made of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, mace, cloves, coriander, and ginger. And mixed spice is generally used in baking and sweet dishes rather than savory recipes. While on the contrary, allspice is used in many savory and sweet dishes, beverages, spice blends, and seasonings.

So, this feature intends to emphasize the main differences and facts about allspice vs mixed spice answering and clearing all your queries. Make sure you pay attention to every fact in this article to solve all your cooking issues with these two flavorings.

Allspice Vs Mixed Spice – Difference Explained

If you suddenly hear the words allspice and mixed spice, you may feel that someone is talking about two spice mixtures. But, if you are a person who wishes to master cooking and baking, it is a must that you know the difference between these two food flavorings.

Allspice is actually has nothing to do with several spices. And, it is, in fact, a single spice – basically a dried berry from the Pimenta dioica plant. While on the contrary, mixed spice is a blend of warm ground spices. It does contain ground allspice, yet it is not at all the same as the single allspice berry.

To get the real feeling of Christmas, your kitchen needs to be filled with the aroma of warm spices
SpiceRally

Their flavor and aroma profiles and usage in cooking also differ from each other. Thus, make use of our comparison table on Allspice vs mixed spice below. You can have a clear idea of how these two flavorings would counter one another.

Allspice Vs Mixed Spice – SpiceRally Breakdown

	Allspice	Mixed Spice
Flavor Profile	Has a flavor medley of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon with a peppery undertone as in black pepper. Rather sweet, warm, and slightly earthy.	The dominant flavor is cinnamon and has a flavor resemblance to gingerbread spice. Warm slightly, sweet, with a gently spicy note.
Fragrance Profile	It has an aroma combination of all three spices- cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, giving a fresh and earthy note.	Gives the warm and sweet “Christmas smell” thanks to all the warm and aromatic spices used.
Forms available and used	Available and used in both ground form and as whole allspice berries depending on the recipe.	Used and available only as a blend of mixed ground spices.
Best dishes or food & drinks that pair well	Slow-cooked Curries Spice blends Seasonings Pastes Gingerbread Pies Mulled wine Apples Cauliflower Green beans	Pudding Cakes Buns Fruits Cupcakes Fruit salads Gingerbread Pies Cookies Pancakes
Culinary use	Used as a spice	Used as a taste-enhancer to many sweet dishes and baked goods
Availability	Widely available as ground allspice and whole allspice berries. Both can be purchased from the local grocery stores, mainstream and leading supermarkets, and online shopping sites.	Primarily available on online shopping sites but can also be bought from leading supermarkets. Available year-round in the British market but can be a bit challenging to find outside Britain.
Shelf life	– Ground allspice generally has a shelf life of up to two to three years when stored properly. – The whole allspice berries will stay well for up to three to four years when stored in the right way.	It will stay flavorful for a few months when stored appropriately
Storage	Store the ground allspice and whole allspice berries in very well-fitting glass containers or jars in a cool, shady, dry place where no direct sunlight hits. Humidity or moisture should not get in contact with the containers either.	It should not be refrigerated. It is always better to store mixed spice in an air-tight glass container in a dry, cool, dark place with zero humidity, moisture, and direct sunlight.
Main featuring cuisines	Middle Eastern The Caribbean The American Some parts of the European cuisine	British Irish
Other names	Pimenta Jamaica pepper Myrtle pepper Pimento	Pudding Spice Cake Spice
Origin	Southern Mexico, Central America, and The Greater Antilles	This is a British spice blend coming since the 1800s
	Allspice	Mixed Spice

Allspice Vs Mixed Spice – SpiceRally

If you are curious about knowing something more about Allspice in addition to the data provided in this table, please feel free to click here and read our complete article about Allspice.

Usage In Cooking – Allspice Vs Mixed Spice

Allspice and mixed spice set a perfect example to prove that spices do not have similar usages when it comes to cooking. They both are flavorful taste-boosters but obviously with different cooking purposes.

The mixed spice comes from British cuisine and mainly features British and Irish food. It is the combination of many ground spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, coriander, mace, cloves, and ginger, also recognized as “pudding spice” or “cake spice”.

This blend is primarily used in sweet baked goods and desserts and is hardly used in any savory dishes, other spice blends, or beverages. It is, in fact, a prevalent spice blend used in sweet winter recipes and undoubtedly gives you the Christmas-y feeling.

On the other hand, allspice is used in the Caribbean, Middle Eastern, European, and American cuisines with a variety of savory and sweet dishes, spice blends, seasonings, and beverages. Allspice has a more robust flavor than mixed spice.

Due to this reason, it has the capacity to dominate the overall taste of a particular dish. But, on the contrary, mixed spice is gentle and does not easily overpower the general flavor of food.

If you still haven’t come across our comprehensive article about cooking with Allspice, now it is high time that you tap right here and go to the feature right away!

However, both of these flavorings add so much taste and aroma to your meals contributing to different culinary purposes within their scope. And Pumpkin Pie Spice blend can be considered a great common substitute for both allspice and mixed spice.

Quitting The Flavor Campaign Of Allspice Vs Mixed Spice…

So, as you see, Allspice and mixed spice are two utterly different food flavorings. And, they have distinct culinary usages, employed in diverse recipes.

However, they both are unquestionably excellent taste-boosters that will satisfy your taste buds with a warm, cozy, and flavorful punch.