Nutmeg Trivia | 30 facts about the nut

«Nutmeg» is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus Myristica.

Let’s find out more about it!

1. Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus Myristica
2. Mysristica fragans is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, and mace, from the seed covering.
3. It is also a commercial source of an essential oil and nutmeg butter.
4. The California nutmeg, Torreya californica, has a seed of similar appearance, but is not closely related to Myristica fragrans.
5. It is not used as a spice.
6. Indonesia is the main producer of nutmeg and mace.
7. If consumed in amounts exceeding its typical use as a spice, nutmeg powder may produce allergic reactions, cause contact dermatitis, or have psychoactive effects.
8. Although used in traditional medicine for treating various disorders, nutmeg has no scientifically confirmed medicinal value.
9. Nutmeg is the spice made by grinding the seed of the fragrant nutmeg tree (Myristica fragrans) into powder.
10. The spice has a distinctive pungent fragrance and a warm, slightly sweet taste.
11. It is used to flavor many kinds of baked goods, confections, puddings, potatoes, meats, sausages, sauces, vegetables, and such beverages as eggnog.
12. The seeds are dried gradually in the sun over a period of six to eight weeks.
13. During this time the nutmeg shrinks away from its hard seed coat until the kernels rattle in their shells when shaken.
14. The shell is then broken with a wooden club and the nutmegs are picked out. Dried nutmegs are grayish brown ovoids with furrowed surfaces.
15. The nutmegs are roughly egg-shaped, about 20.5–30 mm (0.81–1.18 in) long and 15–18 mm (0.59–0.71 in) wide, weighing 5–10 g (0.18–0.35 oz) dried.
16. Two other species of genus Myristica with different flavors, M. malabarica and M. argentea, are sometimes used to adulterate nutmeg as a spice
17. Mace is the spice made from the reddish seed covering (aril) of the nutmeg seed. Its flavour is similar to nutmeg but more delicate.
18. It is used to flavour baked goods, meat, fish, and vegetables, and in preserving and pickling.
19. In the processing of mace, the crimson-colored aril is removed from the nutmeg seed that it envelops and is flattened out and dried for 10 to 14 days. Its color changes to pale yellow, orange, or tan.
20. Whole dry mace consists of flat pieces—smooth, horn-like, and brittle—about 40 mm (1+¹⁄₂ in) long.
21. In very large quantities nutmeg has a hallucinogenic effect.
22. Whole nutmeg keeps almost indefinitely stored in airtight containers, but ground nutmeg loses its flavor very quick.
23. Banda nutmeg and mace are superior to the West Indian ones.
24. Mace is much more costly than nutmeg because its yield is about ten times less that of nutmeg.
25. Nutmeg goes well with both sweet and savory dishes: desserts, fruit, spinach, cheese fillings, veal, pork, pumpkin, eggs, cabbage.
26. The earliest evidence of use of nutmeg comes in the form of 3,500 year old potsherd residues from the island of Pulau Ai, one of the Banda Islands in eastern Indonesia.
27. The Banda Islands consist of eleven small volcanic islands, and are part of the larger Maluku Islands group. These islands were the only source of nutmeg and mace production until the mid-19th century.
28. In the 6th century AD, nutmeg spread to India, then further west to Constantinople.
29. By the 13th century, Arab traders had pinpointed the origin of nutmeg to the Indonesian islands, but kept this location a secret from European traders
30. Nutmeg butter is a thing and it is obtained from the nut by expression.