Nutmeg 110/120

The peeled seeds of the nutmeg tree are called nutmeg or nutmeg. Like the aril (mace), they are very aromatic. Our nutmeg is organically grown and comes from India.

The nutmeg tree is an evergreen tree native to the Moluccas, where it's called pala. But what exactly is nutmeg?

We know it as a "nut," but it's actually a kernel, the inner part of the seed, stripped of its hard shell. Elsewhere, you can buy nutmeg with the shell and all, but in our country, nutmeg is almost exclusively available without the shell. Not only this part, but also the seed coat and the flesh are edible. The shell is considered a separate spice and is called mace.

The nutmeg, to use that word again, is oval Elliptoid in shape and about one and a half centimeters long. The exterior is ribbed, a pattern that also appears on the interior. Our nutmeg is a selection consisting of nuts weighing between 5 and 5.5 grams each.

The word nutmeg is a corruption of the Latin "nuces moschatae," meaning "musky-smelling nuts." These are the main essential oils, those marked with an arteriosclerosis *, which are the primary flavor and aroma components of this warm, fragrant spice:

• α- and β-pinene, woody pine odor, as in cumin, pine cone, juniper berry and hemp,
• elemicine *, hallucigonene, pungent smelling substance in nutmeg,
• limonene, the scent of lemon peel,
• methyl eugenol *, a floral aroma (mimosa),
• myristicin *, warm spicy, like balsamic, in cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, Assam pepper and parsley
• sabinene, responsible for the woody, camphor-like flavour of blackcurrant, among other things pepper, with citrus and pine notes, and
• safrole *, the smell of a candy store, o.a.present in cinnamon and nutmeg.
  
  

Is this nutmeg organic?

To be able to supply this organically grown nutmeg under the organic label, we, as the packer/producer of the spice, must be certified. That's just the way it is. We're not. Although we process and store organic and conventionally grown products strictly separately, we are not allowed to use the organic label.

Smell and taste

Nutmeg has a scent and aroma that is often referenced in other herbs and spices because it is so characteristic of nutmeg. Its aroma complements perfectly with products that share the same essential building blocks, including cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger root, dill, sage, thyme, and parsley; vegetables like cabbage, carrots (cavalo nero, cauliflower), pumpkin and spinach; potatoes and onions; lamb, chicken; sharp cheeses like Gruyère (think cheese fondue) but also cream cheese or ricotta salata; and fruits like pear and banana. And, of course, in béchamel sauce.

Usage

To grind nutmeg, you still need tools: a grater, a plane, or a mortar and pestle. Not every nutmeg grinder is equally practical, which is why many people fall back on the old-fashioned grater. We sell the Crushgrind nutmeg grinder from the Billund series, which allows you to grate any hard spice, not just nutmeg.

Nutmeg is seriously underrated in Western European cuisine. Cookbooks stammer a bit about green beans and cauliflower, but that's usually all. Nutmeg is, of course, an essential ingredient in Indonesian cuisine, and equally so in Indian cuisine.

History in a nutshell

In the Middle Ages, the nutmeg trade was controlled by Arabs, who supplied Europe with what was then called muscat, a beloved but expensive spice and medicine. In the seventh century, demand for this medicine was enormous. It was used against the plague, a pandemic that killed 75 million (!) people worldwide.

The Arabs kept the location of the find a closely guarded secret, and saw the price skyrocket.

The Arab monopoly was broken when Vasco de Gama discovered the Banda Islands, the archipelago where nutmeg grew, in the Pacific Ocean. In the seventeenth century, these islands fell into the hands of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), which used every means to secure its monopoly. In 1621, Governor-General Jan Pieterszoon Coen proceeded to the violent "extirpation" of the Banda Islands, under the pretext that the population, in defiance of the VOC's ban, continued to sell nutmeg to the Portuguese and the British.

Coen ordered his troops to exterminate the population. All nutmeg trees were also cut down, except those on the island of Banda Neira. There, he reorganized production by dividing the largely depopulated island into plots and leasing them out to so-called "perkeniers" (landlords). These landlords were permitted to supply the Company exclusively. The "perken," as they were called, were maintained by "perkhorigen," slaves from all over Asia.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the British succeeded in breaking the Dutch state's monopoly. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) had been nationalized shortly before, in 1796. The British presence was short-lived, as the Dutch quickly regained control of Banda. In that short time, the British secured the planting stock and introduced cultivation in Grenada, Pendang, Ceylon, India, and Zanzibar.

Zanzibar wasn't the first island off the East African coast to cultivate nutmeg. As early as the seventeenth century, the French botanist Jean Poivre succeeded in obtaining fertile seed under the Dutch East India Company (VOC) monopoly and planting it on the Île de France, as Mauritius was then known.

Africa has several indigenous alternatives to nutmeg, such as the West African ehuru or pèbè or calabash nutmeg (Monodora myristica). The flavor is similar to that of 'real' nutmeg, but the nut is pepperiger, and for that reason it is also called 'pepperUnfortunately, the domestic market for this unique "nutmeg" is shrinking due to the rise of the "true nutmeg." In Madagascar, for example, several false nutmegs grow naturally, such as the Rarabee, the Bashi-bashi, and the Rhanha-horac.

The Banda Islands have always remained a major production area, but most nutmeg now comes from India, particularly from Tamil Nadu. However, most nutmeg imported into the Netherlands comes from Indonesia (86%). In our country, only 1% of all nutmeg imported into the Netherlands comes from India.

Our nutmeg, for example, comes from Ernakulamu, a district whose capital is Kochi, formerly Cochin. Ernakulam is located in Kerala, the region where our Malabar and Tellicherry crops are also grown.pepper comes from. Our nutmeg farmers, united in a corporation, grow the nutmeg organically.

This nutmeg 110/120 contains 110-120 seeds per pound (453 g). The piece weight is 3-5 grams.

Features:

• 100% dried seeds of the Myristica fragrans
• not powdered!
  
• origin: India, Ernakulam (Kochi/Cochin)

Assortment

• available in glass (45 grams, approx. 10 pieces) and stand-up pouch (no test tubes)
• larger quantities on request

Gift wrapping

• The jar is available in a tasteful gift packaging, consisting of a cube box filled with black tissue paper.
• For an overview of our gift packaging, please refer to the gift packaging section.

Health aspects

Raw nutmeg, including freshly ground nutmeg, contains high levels of myristicin and elemicin, hallucinogenic substances. When used as a spice, you won't notice any side effects, but in higher doses, you will. This explains the popularity of the Indonesian nutmeg cigarette, the kretek, which also contains cloves. In normal use, nutmeg is harmless. An overdose is defined as eating one or more whole nuts per day.

General advice

• grind nutmeg just before using it in a preparation, once ground it loses its aroma quite quickly

Save:

• store your nutmeg in a closed container, for example, once opened, store it in the storage compartment of the nutmeg mill
• preferably store in a dark, dry and cool place
• best before August 2027 (08-2027)
• This expiration date is an indication

Batch number

The batch number helps us track which batch an item originates from. It's listed on the packing slip and invoice.