Everything about Nutmeg totally explained
The
nutmegs Myristica are a
genus of
evergreen trees indigenous to tropical southeast
Asia and
Australasia. They are important for two
spices derived from the
fruit,
nutmeg and
mace.
Nutmeg is the actual
seed of the tree, roughly egg-shaped and about 20 mm to 30 mm (1 inch) long and 15 mm to 18 mm (¾ inch) wide, and weighing between 5 g and 10 g (¼ ounce and ½ ounce) dried, while mace is the dried "lacy" reddish covering or
arillus of the seed.
Several other commercial products are also produced from the trees, including
essential oils, extracted
oleoresins, and nutmeg butter (see below).
The outer surface of the nutmeg bruises easily.
The
pericarp (fruit/pod) is used in Grenada to make a jam called "Morne Delice". In Indonesia, the fruit is sliced finely, cooked and crystallised to make a fragrant candy called
manisan pala ("nutmeg sweets").
The most important species commercially is the Common or Fragrant Nutmeg
Myristica fragrans, native to the
Banda Islands of
Indonesia; it's also grown in the
Caribbean, especially in
Grenada. Other species include Papuan Nutmeg
M. argentea from
New Guinea, and Bombay Nutmeg
M. malabarica from
India; both are used as adulterants of
M. fragrans products.
Culinary uses
Nutmeg and mace have similar taste qualities, nutmeg having a slightly sweeter and mace a more delicate flavour. Mace is often preferred in light-coloured dishes for the bright orange,
saffron-like colour it imparts. Nutmeg is a flavorful addition to
cheese sauces and is best grated fresh (see
nutmeg grater).
In
Indian cuisine, nutmeg powder is used almost exclusively in sweet dishes. It is known as
Jaiphal in most parts of India and as
Jathi seed in Kerala. It may also be used in small quantities in
garam masala. Ground nutmeg is also smoked in India.
In
Middle Eastern cuisine, nutmeg powder is often used as a spice for savoury dishes. In
Arabic, nutmeg is called
Jawzt at-Tiyb.
In
Greece and
Cyprus nutmeg is called
moschokarydo (Greek: "nut that smells nice") and is used in cooking and savoury dishes.
In
European cuisine, nutmeg and mace are used especially in
potato dishes and in processed meat products; they're also used in soups, sauces and baked goods. In
Dutch cuisine nutmeg is quite popular, it's added to vegetables like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and string beans.
Japanese varieties of
curry powder include nutmeg as an ingredient.
A
Norwegian bun called
kavring includes nutmeg.
Nutmeg is a traditional ingredient in
mulled cider,
mulled wine, and
eggnog.
Essential oils
distillation of ground nutmeg and is used heavily in the perfumery and pharmaceutical industries.
The oil is colourless or light yellow, and smells and tastes of nutmeg. It contains numerous components of interest to the
oleochemical industry, and is used as a natural food flavouring in baked goods, syrups, beverages, and sweets. It replaces ground nutmeg as it leaves no particles in the food. The essential oil is also used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, for instance, in
toothpaste, and as a major ingredient in some
cough syrups. In traditional medicine nutmeg and
nutmeg oil were used for illnesses related to the nervous and digestive systems.
Myristicin and
elemicin are believed to be the chemical constituents responsible for the subtle
hallucinogenic properties of nutmeg oil. Other known chemical ingredients of the oil are
α-pinene,
sabinene,
γ-terpinene and
safrole.
Externally, the oil is used for
rheumatic pain and, like
clove oil, can be applied as an emergency treatment to dull
toothache. Drops are put on a cotton swab, and applied to the gums around an aching tooth until dental treatment can be obtained. In
France, it's given in drop doses in honey for digestive upsets and used for bad breath. Drops are put on a sugar lump or in a teaspoon of honey for
nausea,
gastroenteritis, chronic
diarrhea, and
indigestion. Alternatively, a massage oil can be created by diluting the essential oil in almond oil. This is sometimes used for muscular pains associated with
rheumatism or overexertion. It is also combined with
thyme or
rosemary essential oils. It should be noted that these are folk remedies. Nutmeg when ingested can be fatal and when applied to the skin it can be an irritant.
Nutmeg butter
Nutmeg butter is obtained from the nut by
expression. It is semi-solid, reddish brown in colour, and tastes and smells of nutmeg. Approximately 75% (by weight) of nutmeg butter is
trimyristin, which can be turned into
myristic acid, a 14-carbon
fatty acid which can be used as a replacement for
cocoa butter, can be mixed with other fats like
cottonseed oil or
palm oil, and has applications as an industrial
lubricant.
History
There is some evidence that
Roman priests may have burned nutmeg as a form of
incense, although this is disputed. It is known to have been used as a prized and costly spice in
medieval cuisine.
Saint Theodore the Studite (ca.
758 – ca.
826) was famous for allowing his monks to sprinkle nutmeg on their
pease pudding when required to eat it. In Elizabethan times it was believed that nutmeg could ward off the plague, so nutmeg was very popular. Nutmeg was traded by
Arabs during the Middle Ages in the profitable
Indian Ocean trade.
In the late
15th century,
Portugal started trading in the Indian Ocean, including the trade of nutmeg, under the
Treaty of Tordesillas with
Spain and a separate treaty with the sultan of
Ternate. But full control of this trade wasn't possible and they remained largely participants, rather than overlords since the authority Ternate held over the nutmeg-growing centre of the Banda Islands was quite limited. Therefore, the Portuguese failed to gain a foothold in the islands themselves.
The trade in nutmeg later became dominated by the
Dutch in the
17th century. The British and Dutch engaged in prolonged struggles to gain control of
Run island, then the only source of nutmeg. At the end of the
Second Anglo-Dutch War the Dutch gained control of Run in exchange for the British controlling
New Amsterdam (New York) in North America.
The Dutch managed to establish control over the
Banda Islands after an extended military campaign that culminated in the massacre or expulsion of most of the islands' inhabitants in 1621. Thereafter, the Banda Islands were run as a series of plantation estates, with the Dutch mounting annual expeditions in local war-vessels to extirpate nutmeg trees planted elsewhere.
As a result of the Dutch interregnum during the Napoleonic Wars, the English took temporary control of the Banda Islands from the Dutch and transplanted nutmeg trees to their own colonial holdings elsewhere, notably
Zanzibar and
Grenada. Today, a stylised split-open nutmeg fruit is found on the national
flag of Grenada.
Connecticut gets its nickname ("the Nutmeg State", "
Nutmegger") from the legend that some unscrupulous Connecticut traders would whittle "nutmeg" out of wood, creating a "wooden nutmeg" (a term which came to mean any fraud)
(External Link
).
World production
World production of nutmeg is estimated to average between 10,000 and 12,000
tonnes per year with annual world demand estimated at 9,000 tonnes; production of mace is estimated at 1,500 to 2,000 tonnes. Indonesia and Grenada dominate production and exports of both products with a world market share of 75% and 20% respectively. Other producers include
India,
Malaysia, Papua New Guinea,
Sri Lanka and Caribbean islands such as
St. Vincent. The principal import markets are the
European Community, the
United States,
Japan and
India.
Singapore and the Netherlands are major re-exporters.
At one time, nutmeg was one of the most valuable spices. It has been said that in
England, several hundred years ago, a few nutmeg nuts could be sold for enough money to enable financial independence for life.
The first harvest of nutmeg trees takes place 7–9 years after planting and the trees reach their full potential after 20 years.
Risks and toxicity
In low doses, nutmeg produces no noticeable physiological or neurological response. Large doses of 60 g (~12 teaspoons) or more are dangerous, potentially inducing
convulsions,
palpitations, nausea, eventual
dehydration, and generalized body pain In amounts of 10-40 g (~4-8 teaspoons) it's a mild to medium hallucinogen, producing visual distortions and a mild euphoria. Nutmeg contains
myristicin, a weak
monoamine oxidase inhibitor.
A test was carried out on the substance that showed that, when ingested in large amounts, nutmeg takes on a similar chemical make-up to
MDMA (ecstasy). However, use of nutmeg as a recreational drug is unpopular due to its unpleasant taste and its side effects, including dizziness, flushes, dry mouth, accelerated heartbeat, temporary constipation, difficulty in urination, nausea, and panic. A user won't experience a peak until approximately six hours after ingestion, and effects can linger for up to three days afterwards.
A risk in any large-quantity (over 25 g, ~5 teaspoons) ingestion of nutmeg is the onset of 'nutmeg poisoning', an acute
psychiatric disorder marked by
thought disorder, a sense of impending doom/death, and agitation. Some cases have resulted in hospitalization.
Fatalities occur with lower doses with children. An 8-year-old boy who consumed just two nutmegs fell into a coma, only to die 20 hours later.
Toxicity during pregnancy
Nutmeg is an
abortifacient, and as such any significant doses should be avoided by pregnant women.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Nutmeg'.
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