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Description
Nutmeg is the seed of the fruit which grows on the tree
Myristica fragans, the same fruit from which Mace is derived.
The oval shaped seeds have a sweet, spicy flavor. When ripe, the
fruit splits in half exposing the netlike membrane or aril known
as the mace. The mace closely enwraps a dark brown, brittle
shell inside of which is the single, glossy, brown, oily seed or
the Nutmeg.
Uses
Commonly used in sweet foods and enhances savory foods. Nutmeg
blends well with other spices and is found in the ethnic
cuisines of Italy, the Caribbean, France, India, Germany,
Scandinavia, Greece, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Origins
Nutmeg originating from the East Indies has a relatively high
volatile oil content and a distinctively rich flavor and aroma.
As opposed to the highly aromatic East Indian Nutmeg, the
lighter colored West Indian type has a milder flavor and higher
fatty oil content.
Folklore
Connecticut is known as "The Nutmeg State" owing to the
tradition that slick Yankee peddlers would sell whittled wooden
"nutmegs" to unsuspecting housewives.
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