Spices: Nutmeg
Nutmeg
The Nutmeg Tree
Despite its name, the nutmeg is not actually a nut. Botanically, it is the seed of the fruit of the nutmeg tree (Myristica fragrans), an evergreen tropical tree. The species is native to the Banda Islands and the northern Moluccas, the famous Spice Islands of Indonesia. Today, nutmeg is cultivated mainly in Indonesia, India, and Guatemala. The spice owes its name to an aroma that early traders associated with musk.
Nutmeg trees are either male or female. The tiny, pale yellow female flowers grow either singly or in small clusters. These flowers later develop into the fruit. The fruits are yellowish, pear-shaped, and about the size of an apricot. When fully ripe, they split open to reveal their true treasure: a seed about three centimetres long, surrounded by a bright red, lace-like seed covering.
The seed becomes the familiar nutmeg spice. The red seed covering is dried and sold as mace. Although both spices come from the same fruit, they differ in flavour. Nutmeg has a warm, rich, and robust taste that complements mashed potatoes, creamy sauces, soups, vegetable dishes, and baked goods. Mace is more delicate with a subtle sweetness and is often used in light sauces, poultry and fish dishes, pastries, and spice blends, where a finer flavour is preferred.
In 1512, the Portuguese reached the Banda Islands and established direct trade in nutmeg. Later, the spice was believed to protect against the plague, making it so valuable that European colonial powers fought fiercely to control it. The Dutch eventually established a monopoly and, in 1667, even exchanged Manhattan for the tiny nutmeg-producing island of Run. It was not until the eighteenth century that this monopoly was broken through the smuggling of nutmeg plants.
Freshly grated nutmeg releases its full aroma, although the flavour fades quickly. For this reason, freshly grated nutmeg tastes much more intense than pre-ground powder. The fruit flesh is also used, for example in jams and syrups. In the food industry, nutmeg oil is widely used, and it is also found in toothpastes, perfumes, and certain medicines to improve flavour.
Nutmeg should always be used sparingly. Small amounts give mashed potatoes, spinach, or béchamel sauce their characteristic flavour. Larger quantities, however, can cause poisoning because of compounds such as myristicin, leading to symptoms including nausea, hallucinations, and a rapid heartbeat. As so often, the key is moderation: the right dose makes all the difference.
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