Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from the seed, of several tree species of the genus Myristica. The true nutmeg tree, Myristica fragrans, is a dark-leaved evergreen of the family Myristicaceae. It is cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg from the seed and mace from the seed covering. The tree is also a commercial source of nutmeg essential oil and nutmeg butter.
Origin and botany
The true nutmeg tree is native to the Banda Islands, in Maluku, Indonesia. The Banda Islands are the main producer of nutmeg and mace. The tree is also cultivated on Penang Island in Malaysia, in the Caribbean, especially in Grenada, and in Kerala, in southern India. Nutmeg trees are dioecious, so each plant is either male or female. The nutmeg tree is pyramid-shaped and grows up to 15 metres high. When ripe, the fruit's fleshy pericarp opens in half to reveal a single seed protected by a brown shell. Dried nutmegs are greenish brown ovoids with furrowed surfaces. Mace is the spice made from the reddish seed covering, or aril, of the nutmeg seed. The flavor of mace is similar to that of nutmeg but more delicate.
Chemistry
The essential oil consists of approximately 90% terpene hydrocarbons. Prominent components are sabinene, α-pinene, β-pinene and limonene, and a major oxygen-containing component is terpinen-4-ol. The oil also contains small amounts of various phenolic compounds and aromatic ethers, for example myristicin, elemicin, safrole and methyl eugenol. Monoterpene hydrocarbons make up 61 to 88% of the volatile oil. α-Pinene, β-pinene and sabinene are the major components of the monoterpene hydrocarbon fraction. Myristicin is the major constituent of the aromatic-ether fraction. The percentages of constituents differ between nutmeg and mace as a consequence of geographical origin, quality, duration of storage and even growing locations. West Indian oils showed lower proportions of α-pinene, safrole and myristicin and higher proportions of sabinene than East Indian oils. In its pure form, myristicin is a toxin, and consumption of excessive amounts of nutmeg can result in myristicin poisoning. The major component of the fixed oil of nutmeg is trimyristin.
Uses
The essential oil is used as a natural food flavoring in baked goods, syrups, beverages and sweets, and it can replace ground nutmeg because 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. The flesh of the nutmeg fruit is also blended, in the fresh state, into a type of smoothie. Mace is used to flavor baked goods, meat, fish, and vegetables, and in preserving and pickling.
History
Until the mid-19th century the Banda Islands were the world's only source of the spices nutmeg and mace. In 1621 the Dutch East India Company (VOC) waged a bloody battle with the Bandanese in order to obtain a monopoly on the production and trade of nutmeg. Historian Willard Hanna estimated that before this struggle the islands were populated by approximately 15,000 people, and only 1,000 were left. The Bandanese were killed, starved while fleeing, exiled, or sold as slaves. The Company constructed a comprehensive nutmeg plantation system on the islands during the 17th century. The Dutch chopped down every nutmeg tree on Run to prevent the English from retaking it. The production and export of nutmeg was a VOC monopoly for almost two hundred years. For a time in the seventeenth century, the VOC was able to monopolise the trade in nutmeg, mace and cloves and to sell them across European kingdoms and the Mughal Empire at 14-17 times the price it paid in Indonesia. The transfer of nutmeg trees to Ceylon, Grenada, Singapore and other British colonies in 1817 led to the decline of the Dutch supremacy in the spice trade.
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Related: Allspice · Alpinia · Black Pepper · Cardamom · Cinnamon · Clove · Clove Leaf · Cloves
