Allspice is one of the most important ingredients of Caribbean cuisine. It is used in Jamaican jerk seasoning (the wood is used to smoke jerk in Jamaica, although the spice is a good substitute), in moles, and in pickling; it is also an ingredient in commercial sausage preparations and curry powders. Allspice is also indispensable in Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly in the Levant, where it is used to flavour a variety of stews and meat dishes. In Arab cuisine, for example, many main dishes call for allspice as the sole spice added for flavouring. In the West Indies, an allspice liqueur is produced under the name \”pimento dram\” due to conflation of pimenta and pimento.
In the United States, it is used mostly in desserts, but it is also responsible for giving Cincinnati-style chili its distinctive aroma and flavor. Allspice is commonly used in Great Britain, and appears in many dishes, including cakes and also in beauty products. In Poland, allspice is used in a variety of dishes, including savory foods like deli meats, soups, marinades and pickles, and to a lesser extent in desserts and fruit drinks. Even in many countries where allspice is not very popular in the household, as in Germany, it is used in large amounts by commercial sausage makers.