Nutmeg
Family Myristicaceae
Myristica fragrans, the nutmeg, (M. fragrans 1) is a dioecious small evergreen tree, up to 13 m high, with watery reddish sap in the bark. The alternate elliptic leaves are dark green and aromatic when bruised. The flowers are borne in axillary inflorescences, fragrant, fleshy and pale yellow in colour; the male ones 5-7 mm long with many stamens united to a column; the female ones up to 10 mm, with sessile ovary. The fruit is a fleshy drupe, 6-9 cm long (M. fragrans 2). When ripe, the pericarp splits into 2 valves, exposing a seed surrounded by a reticulate red aril, 2-3 cm long (M. fragrans 3), (M. fragrans 4), (M. fragrans 5).
Distribution
The nutmeg is a native of the eastern islands of the Moluccas, but it is seldom found in a wild state. The Arabs took the first nutmegs to Europe, probably in the 9th century. By the end of the 12th century it was well known in Europe, but very costly. The spice came from the Moluccas via depots in Java and India and, as with other spices, the Arabs tried to hide to true source of it. In 1512 the Portuguese discovered the tree growing on the islands Banda and Amboina and maintained the monopoly of nutmeg trade, until ousted by the Dutch in the mid 17th century. The Dutch retained this monopoly until early in the 19th century. They restricted the cultivation of nutmegs to Banda and Amboina only, destroying trees on other islands. They also accumulated large quantities of nutmegs in order to maintain prices, or even burnt them. The Dutch monopoly was broken by the British, when they succeeded in collecting spice plants, resulting in 100.000 nutmeg trees growing outside the Moluccas by 1820. By the end of the 18th century the French had succeeded in introducing the tree in Mauritius and French Guyana. Early 19th century nutmegs were introduced into Zanzibar, in 1824 to Trinidad and in 1843 to Grenada. It was from this last introduction that world trade was influenced around 1865. Today the biggest producers are Indonesia and Grenada.
Use
The nutmeg yields 2 spices: the nutmeg, which is the dried seed; and mace, which is the dried aril. Both contain the same essential oils of which myristicin is the most important, but the flavours are different. Ground nutmeg is not only used as spice to flavour foodstuffs, but it is also used medicinally and in tonics.
Mace is used to flavour meat dishes, and in pickles and ketchups. Nutmeg butter, which is extracted from the seeds, is used in ointments, perfumes, soap, meat-products, sweets, soft drinks, and chewing-gum.