One Nutmeg Fruit and Two Spices

I have written, briefly, before about Mace and Nutmeg. I want to go a little deeper here, since my only previous link is to my Indian Spice Drawer Series. I have seen mace blades in some few Indian recipes, yet rarely nutmeg. 

The Two are One

Both Mace and Nutmeg are found in the same fruit. The tree is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Molucca Spice Islands of Indonesia, and widely grown across the tropics including China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Grenada (in the Caribbean), Kerala (in India), Sri Lanka and in South America. The tree produces smooth yellow ovoid fruit resembling a large apricot, 2½ to 3½ inches long. The fruit has a fleshy husk that when ripe, splits open along a natural ridge and exposes a purple-brown, shiny seed (the nutmeg) with a red lacy covering called an aril (the mace). The fleshy fruit itself is candied or pickled as snacks in Malaysia. The nutmeg tree grew and flourished in Grenada, where it is the national symbol emblazoned on the country's flag.

The seed and aril are removed and allowed to dry until the seed rattles inside the aril "cage," and then the two are split to be used separately. The seed/nutmeg, is still inside a woody shell that will be removed before using. Neither spice is classified as a nut, so are not problematic for those with nut allergies.

Nutmeg, Mace and  Health

I am not endorsing either side of this issue. Just to be clear. I just want to present the current beliefs as found online.

At one time Nutmeg was fashionable as a hallucinogenic, prized for making one feel as if floating; and myristicin and safrole, the main components of nutmeg's essential oil, have psychoactive properties and can cause a "high" feeling. Today, cautions abound, claiming "nutmeg can cause serious symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, nausea, disorientation, vomiting and agitation (from www.healthline.com)." In truth, very large amounts would have to be ingested for these symptoms to become apparent. Using nutmeg in cooking, where the maximum use in one whole recipe is generally not much more than a half-teaspoon, would not be enough to cause problems. In an article from www.bulletproof.com it states one would have to consume 5 grams of nutmeg with 1 - 2 mg of myristicin to be considered toxic. 

One 5 g nutmeg equals 4 teaspoons ground

I went straight to the kitchen and weighed the largest of the whole nutmegs I had on hand, each weighing in at 5 grams. I then took one of those two 5 gram nutmegs and grated all of it. Once grated, the single nutmeg yielded 4 whole teaspoons of nutmeg. When a recipe for a cake calls for a half-teaspoon of nutmeg, and the cake is going to serve 10 or more people, the toxicity is so low as to be nonexistent. A small sprinkling on your eggnog at Holiday time is certainly only a fraction of a gram. For me? No worries. 

There are also many claims to health benefits from nutmeg (not much is said of mace). There is a long history of using nutmeg to relieve chronic pain, also praised for its antioxidant, antibacterial, antidiabetic, pain relieving, liver-protecting and cancer-preventing properties (from www.verywellfit.com). 

Best Peach Crisp Ever

I choose not to get too excited, much less fearful, when people use amounts like a half-teaspoon and say that much can be toxic. I repeat: a half teaspoon is generally the amount used in an entire recipe, not what one will consume - by themselves - at one sitting. Who in the world would eat an entire half teaspoon of nutmeg, much less 4 teaspoons of nutmeg in one go? Certainly not me, no matter how much I love the flavor.

The Flavors of Nutmeg and Mace

The flavors are markedly different between nutmeg and mace. Mace is more pungent, a bit "spicier" or sharp. What I most often associate with mace is the strong flavor in store-bought stuffing mixes. For many years I could not stand mace, just because of that flavor. I now make my own stuffing and have even begun to add in a small amount of mace - just never enough to jump out and grab you. 

Apple Fritter Loaf

Nutmeg has a more warm and piquant flavor and aroma and is most often used in baked goods or over eggnog. The aroma and flavor of freshly ground nutmeg is amazing. Pre-ground nutmeg loses its beautiful flavor and aroma when left for more than three months, and chances are good that it was setting on the store shelf for longer than that. These days, whole nutmegs are available at most grocery stores. There is no longer an excuse to using the best quality. 

Using Nutmeg in the Kitchen

Garam Masala Ingredients with Nutmeg

All fearmongering aside, nutmeg plays a large part in my kitchen, and I use it with a fairly free hand, grating the amount I need  from the whole nutmeg on a small spice grater at the moment it is needed. I love nutmeg with peach flavors, as in my Best Peach Crisp, Ever, and certainly with apples, whether in a pie or in my Best Apple Crisp, Ever. I use a pinch in Bread Pudding, the syrup for Apple Dumplings, Apple Fritter Loaf, 
Pumpkin Nut Loaf, Banana Cake with Broiled Topping, Fresh Apple Cake, and possibly other things that do not come to mind just now. It is a component of my favorite Garam Masala, which does use a whole nutmeg ground into it, but that is a small part of the overall recipe.

Using Mace in the Kitchen

Mace Blades

Mace is used in some Indian masala mixtures, such as Bisi Bele Bath Spice Mix, and as mentioned, I do use it in my Better than Mom's Stuffing recipe.

I hope you will find new ways to use Nutmeg and Mace in your Kitchen!

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.