Nutmeg, an Ancient Spice

Nutmeg was used in the Banda Islands (Indonesia) as long ago as 3500 years. Pottery from that date have  traces of nutmeg in them. It's not known if it was used for its fruit, as a spice or for medicinal purposes, but Neolithic Indonesian communities were clearly using it for something.

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.

Nutmeg is the ground up seed of several tree species of the genus Myristica. Mace is another spice produced by grinding up the seed covering. These trees are also a commercial source of nutmeg essential oil and nutmeg butter. Indonesia is the main producer of nutmeg and mace, as the true nutmeg tree is native there.

If nutmeg is consumed in amounts exceeding the typical use as a spice, it may produce allergic reactions, dermatitis or have psychoactive effects. Although sometimes used in traditional medicine for various disorders, nutmeg is not used in medicines today.

Nutmeg has a distinctive pungent fragrance and a slightly sweet taste. It can be used to flavor baked goods, confections, puddings, potatoes, meats, sausages, sauces, vegetables and beverages such as eggnog.

Nutmeg trees are dioecious plants, which means individual plants are either male or female. The first harvest of nutmeg trees takes place 7-9 years after planting and the trees reach full production after 20 years.

Nutmeg is used as a spice in many cuisines. In Indonesia, it is used in spicy soups, in gravy for meat dishes, and in certain European derived dishes. In India, it is used in many sweet, as well as savoury, dishes. Ground nutmeg is also smoked in India for a different flavor. In Europe, nutmeg and mace are used in potato and spinach dishes, in processed meat products, in soups, sauces, baked goods and rice 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 pumpkin pie. In the Caribbean, nutmeg is sprinkled on top of drinks such as the Bushwacker, Painkiller, and Barbados rum punch.

The nutmeg fruit can also be eaten. It is used to make jam, or is finely sliced, cooked with sugar and crystallised to make a fragrant candy. Sliced nutmeg fruit is made 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, this is used for juice, pickles and chutney.

Nutmeg essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of ground nutmeg. It is used in perfumes and pharmaceuticals. The oil is colorless or light yellow, and smells and tastes of nutmeg. It is used as flavoring in baked goods, syrups, beverages and sweets. When used to replace ground nutmeg, it doesn't leave particles in the food. The oil is also used in manufacturing toothpaste and cough syrups.

Nutmeg butter is obtained from the nut. It is a reddish-brown semisolid substance with the taste and smell of nutmeg. About 75% of nutmeg butter can be turned into a fatty acid. This can be used as a replacement for cocoa butter, can be mixed with cottonseed or palm oil, and has applications as an industrial lubricant.

In the sixth century AD, nutmeg spread to India, then to Constantinople. By the 13th century, Arab traders knew the origin of nutmeg was the Indonesian islands, but kept the location a secret from European traders.

In August 1511, Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Malacca on behalf of the king of Portugal. At the time, Malacca was the hub of Asian trade. In November of that year, 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 and filling their ships with nutmeg, mace and cloves. Although control of this trade by the Portuguese was not possible, they participated without a foothold in the islands.

In 1621, the Dutch East India Company waged battle with the Bandanese to obtain a monopoly on nutmeg. It is estimated the Bandanese went from a population of approximately 15,000 people to 1,000 people.

The British invaded and temporarily took control of the Banda Islands during the Napoleonic Wars. They busily transplanted nutmeg trees, complete with soil, to Sri Lanka and Singapore and other places. From those, they also transplanted trees, most notably to Zanzibar and Grenada. The Dutch eventually regained control of the Banda Islands, and kept it until World War II.

In 2019, 142,000 tonnes of nutmeg were produced. Indonesia, Guatemala and India produced approximately equal amounts, producing 85% of the global total.

Nutmeg intoxication may occur with side effects such as delirium, anxiety, confusion, headaches, nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, eye irritation, and amnesia. It takes several hours to reach maximum effect and may last for several days. Nutmeg overdose rarely causes death, but can if combined with other drugs.

The scent of nutmeg may attract pets, but it can be poisonous to them.

I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but I love a sprinkling of nutmeg in my eggnog. What about you? Do you have a favorite dish that uses nutmeg?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutmeg

Archeology, January/February 2019, page 25