Nutmeg, an Ancient Spice
Nutmeg wasused in the Banda Islands (Indonesia) as long ago as 3500 years. Pottery from thatdate have traces of nutmeg in them. It's not known if it wasused for its fruit, as a spice or for medicinal purposes, but NeolithicIndonesian communities were clearly using it for something.
TheBanda Islands consist of eleven small volcanic islands, and are part of thelarger Maluku Islands group. These islands were the only source of nutmeg andmace production until the mid-19th century.
Nutmeg isthe ground up seed of several tree species of the genus Myristica. Mace isanother spice produced by grinding up the seed covering. These trees are also acommercial source of nutmeg essential oil and nutmeg butter. Indonesia is themain producer of nutmeg and mace, as the true nutmeg tree is native there.
If nutmegis consumed in amounts exceeding the typical use as a spice, it may produceallergic reactions, dermatitis or have psychoactive effects. Although sometimesused in traditional medicine for various disorders, nutmeg is not used inmedicines today.
Nutmeg hasa distinctive pungent fragrance and a slightly sweet taste. It can be used toflavor baked goods, confections, puddings, potatoes, meats, sausages, sauces,vegetables and beverages such as eggnog.
Nutmegtrees are dioecious plants, which means individual plants are either male orfemale. The first harvest of nutmeg trees takes place 7-9 years after plantingand the trees reach full production after 20 years.
Nutmeg isused as a spice in many cuisines. In Indonesia, it is used in spicy soups, ingravy for meat dishes, and in certain European derived dishes. In India, it isused in many sweet, as well as savoury, dishes. Ground nutmeg is also smoked inIndia for a different flavor. In Europe, nutmeg and mace are used in potato andspinach dishes, in processed meat products, in soups, sauces, baked goods andrice pudding. The Dutch add nutmeg to such vegetables as Brussels sprouts,cauliflower and string beans, as well as to mulled cider, mulled wine, junket(also known as curds and whey) and eggnog. Nutmeg is a common spice for pumpkinpie. In the Caribbean, nutmeg is sprinkled on top of drinks such as theBushwacker, Painkiller, and Barbados rum punch.
The nutmegfruit can also be eaten. It is used to make jam, or is finely sliced, cookedwith sugar and crystallised to make a fragrant candy. Sliced nutmeg fruit ismade with a sugary syrup liquid or dry coated with sugar to make a dessert.Nutmeg rind can be blended or boiled to make iced nutmeg juice. In India, thisis used for juice, pickles and chutney.
Nutmegessential oil is obtained by steam distillation of ground nutmeg. It is used inperfumes and pharmaceuticals. The oil is colorless or light yellow, and smellsand tastes of nutmeg. It is used as flavoring in baked goods, syrups, beveragesand sweets. When used to replace ground nutmeg, it doesn't leave particles inthe food. The oil is also used in manufacturing toothpaste and cough syrups.
Nutmegbutter is obtained from the nut. It is a reddish-brown semisolid substance withthe taste and smell of nutmeg. About 75% of nutmeg butter can be turned into afatty acid. This can be used as a replacement for cocoa butter, can be mixedwith cottonseed or palm oil, and has applications as an industrial lubricant.
In thesixth century AD, nutmeg spread to India, then to Constantinople. By the 13thcentury, Arab traders knew the origin of nutmeg was the Indonesian islands, butkept the location a secret from European traders.
In August1511, Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Malacca on behalf of the king ofPortugal. At the time, Malacca was the hub of Asian trade. In November of thatyear, Albuquerque sent an expedition of 3 ships to find the Banda Islands.Those ships arrived in early 1512 and remained for about a month, buying andfilling their ships with nutmeg, mace and cloves. Although control of thistrade by the Portuguese was not possible, they participated without a footholdin the islands.
In 1621,the Dutch East India Company waged battle with the Bandanese to obtain amonopoly on nutmeg. It is estimated the Bandanese went from a population ofapproximately 15,000 people to 1,000 people.
TheBritish invaded and temporarily took control of the Banda Islands during theNapoleonic Wars. They busily transplanted nutmeg trees, complete with soil, toSri Lanka and Singapore and other places. From those, they also transplantedtrees, most notably to Zanzibar and Grenada. The Dutch eventually regainedcontrol of the Banda Islands, and kept it until World War II.
In 2019,142,000 tonnes of nutmeg were produced. Indonesia, Guatemala and India producedapproximately equal amounts, producing 85% of the global total.
Nutmegintoxication may occur with side effects such as delirium, anxiety, confusion,headaches, nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, eye irritation, and amnesia. It takesseveral hours to reach maximum effect and may last for several days. Nutmegoverdose rarely causes death, but can if combined with other drugs.
The scentof nutmeg may attract pets, but it can be poisonous to them.
I'm not ahuge fan of pumpkin pie, but I love a sprinkling of nutmeg in my eggnog. Whatabout you? Do you have a favorite dish that uses nutmeg?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutmeg
Archeology, January/February 2019, page 25
