what spices make up allspice
Allspice takes its name from its aroma, which smells like a combination of spices, especially cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. In much of the world, allspice is called pimento because the Spanish mistook the fruit for black pepper, which the Spanish called pimienta.
The name 'allspice' was coined as early as 1621 by the English, who thought it combined the flavour of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Several unrelated fragrant shrubs are called Carolina allspice (Calycanthus floridus), Japanese allspice (Chimonanthus praecox), or wild allspice (Lindera benzoin). Allspice is also sometimes used to refer to the herb costmary (Tanacetum balsamita).