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Most popular meals and recipes are incomplete without the right spices or seasonings. Truth be told, there is an extensive range of peppers available out there (can you recall capsicum?), and depending upon the taste of what you’re trying to cook and the cuisine, their use varies drastically.
For instance, pimiento is a popular Cajun spice that has become incredibly popular in many cuisines, though it’s not as easy to find as you might think.
Pimiento – What Is It?
This is the Spanish term for pepper. To illustrate, pimiento is a large red pepper with a sweet flavor tone. As compared to bell peppers, pimiento mainly has a sweeter taste. Generally, it’s available in jars and tins from local superstores.
Pimiento is available in diced, striped, and sliced forms. It is used for stuffing the Spanish green olives. Also, pimiento is harvested and blended to make paprika. As you can see, it has quite a few uses.
However, it’s not readily available in most parts of the world. If you are having a hard time finding pimiento at your local store and can’t figure out a way to source it, there are a few substitutes that you can use as well.
Instead of not cooking at all, there are several options that you can use as a substitute. Here are some of the most popular substitutes if you can’t find pimiento.
Pimiento Substitute
- Peppadew Peppers
These are the spicy and sweet peppers that are readily available in South Africa. The peppadew peppers tend to have a unique spicy taste, but it’s generally mild, so don’t worry about the pepper overpowering your dish.
The peppers can be used for baking and stuffing and are generally going to enhance the flavor of your dish. In addition, the chopped peppadew peppers can be used in fresh salads and cornbread. The sliced peppadew peppers can be served on toasted baguette slices too.
All in all, you can substitute peppadew peppers for pimiento in the same quantity.
- Cinnamon
If you want to replace ground pimiento, you can use cinnamon. This is because cinnamon has a generally intense flavor and a very robust fragrance. Cinnamon is fine for replacing pimiento in savory dishes as it can easily balance out the spices.
However, it’s best that you add nutmeg or cloves since cinnamon often overpowers the taste of the dish itself. Plus, if you’re making something spicy or
- Ground Cloves
Ground cloves make a fine replacement for pimiento powder in the majority of recipes. This is mainly because the ground cloves will deliver the much-needed sharp flavor that you’d expect from a pepper-like pimiento.
You can add ground cloves to curries, stews, beverages, and casseroles. It’s generally quite versatile, and it’s a great choice for people who can’t find pimiento readily.
- Ground Nutmeg Or Mace
If you have been cooking for a long time, you would know that nutmeg is one of the most versatile spices out there. And, if you are looking for a viable substitute, nutmeg can replace pimiento if you just want to add a similar flavor or aroma.
In case you want a substitute for pimiento, you need to mix nutmeg or mace with ground cloves for better flavor.
- Star Anise
If you want to add a strong flavor to your recipes but cannot find pimiento, you can simply opt for star anise. This is because star anise generally has a robust flavor, like pimiento. It can replace pimiento in curries, stews, and marinades quite easily.
You also don’t need to worry about adding any extra spices in the mix, since the star anise is a viable replacement on its own.
- Five-Spice Powder
To begin with, this is another spice, and it originates from China. It can be used as a substitute for pimiento for its flavor in savory recipes. The five-spice powder contains a mix of different spices that are blended and mixed together.
They are generally available from a number of different stores, and you can find them at most places that specialize in offering seasons tailored towards oriental or Asian spices.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
One might believe that pumpkin pie spice only goes well with desserts and pumpkin pie. However, pumpkin pie spice is a combination of nutmeg, cloves, ginger, allspice, and a pinch of cinnamon. For this reason, it can be used as a suitable substitute for pimiento in savory dishes.
Still, we suggest that you only add a pinch or sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice because the flavor’s so overpowering.
- Mixed Spice
Generally, mixed spices are often confused with pumpkin pie spice since the ingredients are somewhat the same. The mixed spice blend is simply the combination of allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon which delivers the mild spiciness and sweetness that people want from pimiento.
If you can find mixed spice powder, use that in your dish conveniently.
- Canned Pimento
If you are having a hard time finding fresh pimento, you can always opt for the canned or jarred pimiento. Unlike fresh pimiento that you’ll only probably get from specialized spice stores, the canned or jarred pimiento can be easily found in grocery stores or supermarkets at an affordable rate.
All in all, it makes a fine substitute for fresh pimiento.
- Red Bell Pepper
The red bell pepper is the most commonly found pepper out there, and we believe almost every person has that in their house. Even if you do, the red bell peppers can be easily found in grocery stores.
If you can’t find any of the substitutes on this list, then your next best option is to use red bell pepper. It’s readily available and easy to find, though you have to use it sparingly. Add too much red pepper in the mix, and your entire dish will become incredibly spicy.
Red bell peppers are generally popular because of their versatility, but it’s important that you regularly taste the dish while adding it in as there’s a strong chance of adding too much.