Nutmeg
Family: Myristicaceae
Genus: Myristica
Species: fragrans
Scientific Name: Myristicafragrans Houtt.
Commercial Name: Fragrant Nutmeg

LOCAL NAMES: ·Dutch (nootmuskaatboom, nootmuskaat, foelie);

·English (nutmeg tree, mace, nutmeg);

·French (muscadier commun, noix muscade, muscadier);

·German (muskatbaum);

·Italian (mace, noce moscata);

·Portuguese (moscadeira);

·Spanish (nogal moscado, nuez moscada)

·Sri Lankan (Sinhalese - saadikka)

·Indonesian (pala)

The nutmeg tree is identified in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species [2]

The nutmeg tree Myristica fragrans is unique in that it yields two spice products, nutmeg and mace. It is an evergreen tree, home to the Banda Islands of Indonesia. Nutmeg is grown in large quantities in Grenada, India, Indonesia, Mauritius, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, US, Penang, and the Caribbean islands. These countries are the current growers of nutmeg. Nutmeg in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is a major spice export crop. The nutmeg tree belongs to the Myristicaceae family.

Nutmeg is the seed within the fruit of the nutmeg tree and mace is the reddish lacy aril that covers the nutmeg seed. Nutmeg is an egg-shaped seed used as a flavouring for foods such as Indian sweets, the famous eggnog, puddings and savouries. The nutmeg tree is unique and the only tree which produces two types of spices from a single tree from each harvest.

History

Nutmeg was unheard of in ancient Egypt and was not used in embalming. Pliny the elder identified it as a nut in the 1st century BC. By the 6th century, it was known throughout China and the Byzantine Empire. Abu ‘Ali al-Husayn ibn Sina, better known in Europe by the Latinized name “Avicenna” described the nutmeg as the “nut from Banda.” Believed to have first arrived in Europe with the Crusaders. Simon Seth the Byzantine scientist and physician Constantine the African wrote about the nutmeg in the 10th century “that they benefit the stomach, the liver and the heart” and warned of its excessive intake, “because then it is a pity to the bowels.”

In 1512, the Portuguese introduced the nutmeg as merchandise from the Banda Islands, known as the Spice Islands the only place in the world where cloves and nutmeg were found to be grown. Wars were fought by the Portuguese, Spaniards and British over the monopoly of the nutmeg trade. The Dutch by brutal force secured the island of Banda and gained a monopoly of the trade, in 1621 for the next 150 years. By the end of the 18th century, the Dutch monopoly came to an end with the British conquest of the Moluccas, who then introduced the cultivation of the nutmeg to Sumatra, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, Penang and Singapore. During the second half of the 16th century, nutmeg was identified as the only effective treatment against the plague in England.

Growing Conditions

Nutmeg grows best in warm, humid conditions. The soil should be clay, loamy soil with good drainage. Dry or waterlogged conditions are not good for nutmeg cultivation. In Ceylon (Sri Lanka) nutmeg has only a small area of cultivation. Mainly female trees are grown on plantations identifiable by the shape of a leaf. It is best grown at temperatures between 20 deg. C and 30 deg C ideally in a shady environment during the initial two to three years. Propagation is by seed. The seeds should not rattle as it is only receptive to germination for only eight to ten days. Germination takes place between four to eight weeks. Seeds are planted shallow with the nut left partly visible. Place the containers with the planted seeds in a dark spot having covered them with clear plastic. The tree is dioecious, which means having separate male and female trees and can grow to a height of 5 to 18 meters. The bark of the tree is of a greenish-grey to olive in hue and is hairy at first. The older the branches get, they become smooth. They begin to yield fruits after about 8 or 9 years and mature in about 25 years. After that, it is still capable of producing fruit for another 60 years. Although it starts bearing fruit around eight years, the best yields to be expected are when the tree is about fifteen years old. On the downside, the nutmegs from trees, especially those grown in the tropics, are prone to mold, some producing the highly carcinogenic aflatoxins.

Harvesting Periods

There are two main periods of harvesting, January to March and June to August. Harvesting also takes place every 2 to 3 days between these two main periods.

Harvesting
When the fruit of the nutmeg matures, it splits in two while on the tree revealing the red coloured aril that surrounds the nutmeg seed. The split fruit falls to the ground after 2 days and the fruit is then collected and taken to curing rooms where the mace is removed.

Sometimes partially opened fruits are plucked from the tree by using a long pole. The nutmeg seed then is sun-dried for a period of about 6 to 8 months and is turned twice a day. During this time the nutmeg shrinks away from the shell until it rattles inside. If shelled nutmeg is required, the hard and the brittle outer covering is broken and the inner nutmeg will be graded. Mace is the aril covering of the nutmeg seed and is also a spice. Care should be taken that the mace does not get wet otherwise it will get mouldy and will have to be discarded. The picked nutmeg should be taken to the drying area immediately after harvesting.

The harvesting of nutmeg is dependent upon external factors such as the location of the field, the availability of labour and the production levels. There are two main periods of harvesting, January to March and June to August. Harvesting also takes place every 2 to 3 days between these two main periods. Owners of fields at different locations or in far off places that are inaccessible to labour will have a low rate of harvesting.

Harvesting Methods
tree climbers who do the plucking by hand. In Indonesia where it is grown in a supervised manner, other than collecting Grenada is the largest producer of nutmeg and is ideally situated geographically. The climate and the quality of the soil are conducive to producing good nutmeg. In Grenada where they grow wild on the rocky slopes, the fruit ready for harvesting is picked by talented the fallen fruit, sometimes a pole with a basket attached to one end is used to knock the split fruit, off the tree. This is known as “rodding”. But this system can damage the flowers and the younger fruit.

Storage
Nutmeg should be stored in cool and dark conditions away from sunlight and strong-smelling substances.

Uses Nutmeg is an active ingredient in pharmaceuticals, toothpaste, soaps, cosmetics and perfumery and in rendering aroma to aromatherapeutic products.

It is also used as an ingredient in the manufacture of alcohol.

Nutmeg is used mainly in powdered form and for best results is grated or powdered immediately before use.

Culinary Use

Nutmeg is used mainly as a spice all over the world in many cuisines. It is also used in the preservation of food for its antiseptic and disinfecting action.
The carefully extracted pulp from the outer layer of the orange-yellow fruit can be processed and used as a conserve, nutmeg jelly and nutmeg syrup. However, care must be taken to select only undamaged fruit.

Medicinal Uses
Nutmeg is important in medicinal uses too. It is known to act in cases of disorders related to the nervous and digestive systems asthma, fever and heart ailments, flatulence, nausea and diarrhoea. Nutmeg oil has been effective as a muscle relaxant and sedative qualities. In the case of toothaches, the oil can be rubbed on the area of the gum surrounding the tooth. Nutmeg oil contains myristicin which is a poisonous narcotic. Overconsumption may prove to be fatal. Excess use of the oil can cause hallucinations and symptoms of epilepsy. In extreme cases, overuse can cause death. Nutmeg should not be used during pregnancy.

Extracting Nutmeg Oil And Usage
Nutmeg oil is obtained by the steam distillation of the ground nutmeg. Nutmeg oil can be used externally for the treatment of rheumatism. Care should be taken not to use these oils in an undiluted form on the skin or ingested. Dilute oils with olive oil or any vegetable oil. Keep away from eyes and mucus membranes. It is best to skin test the oil before use to check for allergic reactions.

Next Chapter: Mace (Myristicafragrans Houtt.)