A spice for all seasons
Nutmeg - the sometimes secret ingredient
Benjamin Boone
Nutmeg is not a nut.
It comes from a plant that bears fruits containing the nutmeg stone.
When the fruits are broken open, a bright purple and red substance known as mace appears.
Nutmeg doesn't grow in many places. It was sought after in the 1700s as an important spice found in abundance in the Banda Islands. The islands were under Dutch control and the price of nutmeg went out of control. Small wars broke out over the Dutch monopoly until the French smuggled nutmeg trees from the Banda Islands and grew them in Paris.
In the West Indies Grenada has an abundance of nutmeg. In fact it is one of the largest nutmeg producers in the world.The spice has found a way into Caribbean cooking and is a secret ingredient in the famous Jamaican jerk sauce.
Most of us think of this spice around the winter holidays, adding a bit to pies, eggnogs or the legendary drink, the painkiller. But nutmeg is much more versatile. It is a natural preservative, used for meats, and nailpolish.The pod is also boiled and used for ice cream, jams and sorrel.Whole nutmeg is easily procured and worth the grating effort since nutmeg looses intensity fast.
In Grenada you can also find nutmeg essence and nutmeg syrup for cooking.
Nutmeg is also reputed to calm the nerves and even induce euphoria, if three tablespoons or so are added to a cup of boiling water.
Benjamin Boone writes about nature and island folklore.
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