Name: Homemade Mixed Spice
Yield: ¼ cup (40 g/1.4 oz)
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon ground allspice; 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg; 2 teaspoons ground mace; 1 teaspoon ground cloves; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground Ginger

Why it works: Cinnamon and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Homemade Mixed Spice

¼ cup (40 g/1.4 oz)

Ingredients

Directions

Blend all spices together.
Store in a sealed jar away from light.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

32Calories

0 gProtein

1 gFat

6 gCarbs

Counts 5 of 7 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 5 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Nutmeg	1 tsp ground (2.2g)	12
Cloves	1 tsp ground (2g)	7
Cinnamon	1 tsp ground (2.6g)	6
Allspice	1 tsp ground (1.9g)	5
Ginger	1 tsp grated fresh (2g)	2
Mace	not in our table	0
Coriander	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together11,917 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Cinnamon + clovetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together14,189 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
Allspice + clovetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together7,874 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Allspice + cinnamontop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,536 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Allspice + nutmegtop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,331 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Allspice: Adds warm, sweet aroma and depth of flavour to the blend.
Cinnamon: Provides the sweet, woody aroma that dominates the blend.
Nutmeg: Contributes a warm, nutty aroma and sweetness.
Mace: Adds a delicate, warm aroma similar to nutmeg but lighter.
Cloves: Adds a strong, pungent aroma that gives the blend its warmth.
Ginger: Contributes a spicy, slightly citrusy aroma and gentle heat.

Swap the mace

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, coriander, ginger):

Cardamomfits better
Cuminfits better
Turmericfits better
Macethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, coriander, ginger. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.