• The Scotch bonnet chili pepper is what gives jerk spice its bite.green scotch bonnet pepper image by Wayne Abraham from Fotolia.com
  
  "Jerk" refers to a Jamaican cooking style and the spice blend that is used in that style. This popular Caribbean seasoning blend, customarily used as a rub for meat and fish, contains a variety of spices . According to epicurean.com, the three primary spices in jerk spice that give it its signature flavor are Scotch bonnet chili pepper, thyme and ground Jamaican pimento allspice. Several other spices add to the overall taste and flavor.
  
  

Scotch Bonnet Chili Peppers

• The fiery Scotch bonnet chili pepper is what gives the jerk spice blend its heat, as, according to food.com, it is one of the hottest peppers that exists, closely related to the habanero pepper.
  
  

Ground Jamaican Pimento Allspice

• Another primary ingredient in jerk spice is ground Jamaican pimento allspice, which is also called the Jamaica pepper. Ground Jamaican pimento allspice gives jerk spice a slightly sweet taste, as, according to gourmetsleuth.com, it originally comes from a berry that is dried and then used a spice.
  
  

Thyme

• The third primary ingredient in the jerk spice blend is thyme. According to epicurean.com, the variety of thyme used in jerk spice can be either thyme leaves or ground thyme.
  
  

Secondary Ingredients

• The secondary ingredients added to the jerk spice mix to complete and complement the overall jerk flavor include ginger, salt, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, garlic, scallions and nutmeg. According to epicurean.com, when making a paste out jerk spice, ingredients such as oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, fresh onions and dark rum may be added to enhance the overall flavor of the recipe.