What is the nutmeg fruit called?
Nutmeg is the seed of the evergreen tree, Myristica fragrans. The inner seed is enveloped by a bright red aril known by spice traders as mace. If you stroll past a nutmeg tree on a sunny beach, you may spot the yellow, peach-like fruits drooping high in the branches.
Is the nutmeg fruit edible?
Nutmeg is the rarest of spices. Its woody balls are the stones or pips of fruits that plump from the nutmeg tree, the beautifully named Myristica fragrans. You can eat the fruit, too, if you're lucky enough to get it: in Sulawesi they sugar it, then dry it in the sun so it partially ferments.
Is nutmeg a nut or a fruit?
1 It's not a nut. Nutmeg is the seed kernel inside a yellow fruit of the nutmeg tree, an evergreen native to the Molucca Islands (sometimes called the Spice Islands) of Indonesia.
What does the nutmeg fruit look like?
0:556:24Nutmeg Fruit Review - Weird Fruit Explorer : Ep. 7 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd this is called the arrow if you take this off the seed. And you dry it you get mace mace.MoreAnd this is called the arrow if you take this off the seed. And you dry it you get mace mace.
What does nutmeg do for a woman?
Even according to Ayurveda, this spice helps in calming the nervous system and improves blood circulation to the reproductive organs. This is the reason why it has been deemed as women's viagra.
What is nutmeg fruit good for?
Nutmeg is found to have health benefits, including its ability to relieve pain, soothe indigestion, strengthen cognitive function, detoxify the body, boost skin health, alleviate oral conditions, reduce insomnia, increase immune system function, and prevent leukemia, and improve blood circulation.
Is nutmeg OK for nut allergy?
Cinnamon and nutmeg do not come from nuts, so if you have a tree nut allergy, these spices should be safe to eat. Even though nutmeg sounds like it could be a tree nut, it is not a nut. Nutmeg is actually a seed that is dried and then ground into powder form.
Is nutmeg suitable for nut allergy sufferers?
The answer is yes. Despite its name, nutmeg isn't a nut. It's really a seed. If you have a nut allergy, you may be able to eat nutmeg without any risk of an allergic reaction.
Is nutmeg a berry?
The fruit of the nutmeg tree is a rounded fleshy berry which splits into two halves when it ripens. The seed inside is shiny dark brown and oval in shape. The seed coat is covered by lacy red aril which is attached at the base of the seed.
What part of the nutmeg do we eat?
seedNutmeg is a spice made from the inner portion of the seed contained inside the plant's apricot-sized fruit. It's derived from the seed of the nutmeg tree (Myristica fragrans), an evergreen tree native to the Maluku Islands (aka Indonesia's spice islands).
Why was nutmeg so valuable?
So, why was nutmeg so valuable? Well, Krondl likens it to the iPhone of the 1600s. It was fashionable among the wealthy. It was exotic and potent enough to induce hallucinations — or at least a nutmeg bender, as detailed in this account from The Atlantic.
Can you eat nutmeg nut?
People with tree nut allergies may wonder if it's safe for them to eat nutmeg. The answer is yes.
Is nutmeg seed edible?
Nutmeg can be purchased as the whole seed or ground in a container. Grating the seed directly into a recipe will impart a fresher, cleaner taste than using store-bought ground nutmeg.
Common nutmeg
Nutmeg is the spice made by grinding the seed of the fragrant nutmeg ( Myristica fragrans) tree into powder. The spice has a distinctive pungent fragrance and a warm, slightly sweet taste; it is used to flavor many kinds of baked goods, confections, puddings, potatoes, meats, sausages, sauces, vegetables, and such beverages as eggnog.
Mace
Mace is the spice made from the reddish seed covering ( aril) of the nutmeg seed. Its flavour is similar to nutmeg but more delicate; it is used to flavour baked goods, meat, fish, vegetables and in preserving and pickling.
Botany and cultivation
The most important commercial species is the common, true or fragrant nutmeg, Myristica fragrans ( Myristicaceae ), native to the Moluccas (or Spice Islands) of Indonesia.
Culinary uses
Nutmeg and mace have similar sensory qualities, with nutmeg having a slightly sweeter and mace a more delicate flavour. Mace is often preferred in light dishes for the bright orange, saffron -like hue it imparts. Nutmeg is used for flavouring many dishes.
Essential oil
The essential oil obtained by steam distillation of ground nutmeg is used in the perfumery and pharmaceutical industries. The volatile fraction contains dozens of terpenes and phenylpropanoids, including D - pinene, limonene, D - borneol, L - terpineol, geraniol, safrol, and myristicin.
Nutmeg butter
Nutmeg butter is obtained from the nut by expression. It is semisolid, reddish-brown in colour, and has the taste and smell of nutmeg itself.
History
The earliest evidence of nutmeg usage comes in the form of 3,500 year old potsherd residues from the island of Pulau Ai, one of the Banda Islands in eastern Indonesia. The Banda Islands consist of eleven small volcanic islands, and are part of the larger Maluku Islands group.
Health Benefits
Nutmeg is a rich source of antioxidants, which help protect against the signs of aging and serious conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and liver disease.
Nutrition
Nutmeg is rich in fiber, which helps keep the digestive system healthy and prevent blood sugar from spiking.
How to Use Nutmeg
Whole nutmeg can be freshly ground and added to dishes with a microplane or grater, but the spice is also available already ground.
Where Does Nutmeg Come From?
Nutmeg trees are evergreens native to the Moluccas (Spice Islands) and other tropical islands of the East Indies. The large seed of these trees garners two noteworthy spices: nutmeg is the kernel of the seed when ground, while mace is the grated red to orange covering, or aril, which surrounds the seed.
Nutmeg Plant Info
Nutmeg ( Myristica fragrans) is steeped in history, although there is no written record of it until 540 A.D. in Constantinople. Prior to the Crusades, mention of nutmeg’s use is mentioned as having “fumigated” the streets, no doubt rendering them aromatic if not more sanitary.
Can You Grow Nutmeg?
If you happen to live in the right place and can get your hands on one, you may be have success with growing nutmeg spice. Nutmeg trees can grow in USDA zones 10-11. As a tropical tree, nutmeg likes it hot, in mostly sunny locations with some dappled shade. Choose a protected site if your area is prone to gusty winds.
Overview
Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus Myristica. Myristica fragrans (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, and mace, from the seed covering. It is also a commercial source of an essential oil and nutmeg butter. The California nutmeg, Torreya californica, has a seed of si…
Common nutmeg
Nutmeg is the spice made by grinding the seed of the fragrant nutmeg tree (Myristica fragrans) into powder. The spice has a distinctive pungent fragrance and a warm, slightly sweet taste; it is used to flavor many kinds of baked goods, confections, puddings, potatoes, meats, sausages, sauces, vegetables, and such beverages as eggnog.
The seeds are dried gradually in the sun over a period of six to eight weeks. During this time the …
Mace
Mace is the spice made from the reddish seed covering (aril) of the nutmeg seed. Its flavour is similar to nutmeg but more delicate; it is used to flavour baked goods, meat, fish, and vegetables, and in preserving and pickling.
In the processing of mace, the crimson-colored aril is removed from the nutmeg seed that it envelops and is flattened out and dried for 10 to 14 days. Its color …
Botany and cultivation
The most important commercial species is the common, true or fragrant nutmeg, Myristica fragrans (Myristicaceae), native to the Moluccas (or Spice Islands) of Indonesia. It is also cultivated on Penang Island in Malaysia, in the Caribbean, especially in Grenada, and in Kerala, a state formerly known as Malabar in ancient writings as the hub of spice trading, in southern India. In th…
Culinary uses
Nutmeg and mace have similar sensory qualities, with nutmeg having a slightly sweeter and mace a more delicate flavour. Mace is often preferred in light dishes for the bright orange, saffron-like hue it imparts. Nutmeg is used for flavouring many dishes. Whole nutmeg can also be ground at home using a grater specifically designed for nutmeg or a multi-purpose grating tool.
Essential oil
The essential oil obtained by steam distillation of ground nutmeg is used in the perfumery and pharmaceutical industries. The volatile fraction contains dozens of terpenes and phenylpropanoids, including D-pinene, limonene, D-borneol, L-terpineol, geraniol, safrol, and myristicin. In its pure form, myristicin is a toxin, and consumption of excessive amounts of nutmeg can result in myristicin poisoni…
Nutmeg butter
Nutmeg butter is obtained from the nut by expression. It is semisolid, reddish-brown in colour, and has the taste and smell of nutmeg itself. About 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
The earliest evidence of use of nutmeg comes in the form of 3,500 year old potsherd residues from the island of Pulau Ai, one of the Banda Islands in eastern Indonesia. 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.
Quotes
Overview
- Nutmeg trees are evergreens native to the Moluccas (Spice Islands) and other tropical islands of the East Indies. The large seed of these trees garners two noteworthy spices: nutmeg is the kernel of the seed when ground, while mace is the grated red to orange covering, or aril, which surrounds the seed.
Origins
- Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) is steeped in history, although there is no written record of it until 540 A.D. in Constantinople. Prior to the Crusades, mention of nutmegs use is mentioned as having fumigated the streets, no doubt rendering them aromatic if not more sanitary. Columbus sought the spice when he landed in the West Indies but it was the P...
Uses
- Grated nutmeg spice is used to flavor everything from many desserts to cream sauces, in meat rubs, eggs, over veggies (like squash, carrots, cauliflower, spinach and potatoes) as well as a dusting over morning coffee.
Description
- Ive never seen one, but nutmeg plant info lists it as an evergreen, tropical tree with multiple stems that attains heights from between 30-60 feet tall. The tree has narrow, oval leaves and bears male or female yellow blossoms. The fruit is 2 inches long covered by an outer husk, which splits apart when the fruit is ripened.
Culture
- If you happen to live in the right place and can get your hands on one, you may be have success with growing nutmeg spice. Nutmeg trees can grow in USDA zones 10-11. As a tropical tree, nutmeg likes it hot, in mostly sunny locations with some dappled shade. Choose a protected site if your area is prone to gusty winds.
Cultivation
- Nutmeg trees should be planted in rich, organic soil with a medium texture and low salinity. The pH level should be 6-7, although they will tolerate ranges from 5.5-7.5. A soil test will aid in determining if the site is appropriate or if you need to amend it to correct a lack of nutrients. Mix in organic matter like bark chips, rotted manure or leaves to buck up the nutrition level and aid i…