Nutmeg

Nutmeg (Myristica fragnans) is an evergreen tree in the Muskatnikov family. It is also called nutmeg or nutmeg. In German, the plant is called Bandanuss, Suppennuss, Muskatsamen, in English - nutmeg, in French - noix de muscade.

Nutmeg is a tree that can grow up to 20 m in the wild, but on plantations one can hardly find nutmeg taller than 6 m. Its leaves are leathery and have a dark green color. They reach a length of 0.15 m, sit on short petioles, pointed in shape, resemble a lancelet.

Muscat trees can be male or female and produce white and yellow flowers. From the flowers of the female tree, yellow fruits with stones, similar to apricots, are formed. They are represented by one-seeded berries enclosed in a smooth woody shell.

Nutmeg seeds have a brown tint and a mesh surface, reach a length of 0.2 cm, each weighing 4 g. A marble pattern is formed in cross section. The Muscat color fades on drying and becomes an orange to soft brown color. Macis reaches several centimeters in length.

Nutmeg has nine species, among which only fragrant nutmeg is of paramount importance.

The origin of nutmeg is known - these are the Moluccas, or more precisely, the Indonesian Banda Islands. Now it is more common in southern and southeastern Asia, South America, as well as in eastern Africa and on the island of Madagascar.

The second supplier of nutmeg in the world is the small island of Grenada, which belongs to the Lesser Antilles.

As a rule, nutmeg is rubbed just before adding to the dish, as it quickly ceases to be so fragrant when crushed. Macis is dried and ground, after which it is added to dishes. Spices have completely different taste and aromatic qualities, so they cannot be replaced with each other.

Finding mace is much more difficult than nutmeg, which is sold ground or whole. It is preferable to buy it whole, since in the form of a powder it quickly loses its aromatic qualities.

High quality nutmeg is easy to spot if you poke it with a needle, causing it to exude some oil. The color of the walnut should be bright. A network of wrinkles runs throughout the nut, and there is an interesting marble pattern on the cut.

Nutmeg and mace have a spicy sweetish aroma, but mace has a more subtle and mild aroma. The nut has a more tart and resinous taste. Nutmeg contains 30% to 40% oil.

Nutmeg has the following characteristics:

• used as a spice;
• used for medicinal purposes;
• grows in tropical regions;
• harmful when used in excess.

100 grams of ground nutmeg contains 525 kcal.

The nutritional value of the product includes the following components:

• proteins - 5.84 g;
• fats - 36.31 g;
• carbohydrates - 28.49 g;
• dietary fiber - 20.8 g;
• ash - 2.34 g;
• water - 6.23 g;
• monosaccharides and disaccharides - 28.49 g;
• saturated fatty acids - 25.94 g.

For more information about nutmeg, you can from an excerpt from the program "1000 and one spice of Scheherazade."

Nutmeg contains the following ingredients:

• vitamins: A (RE) - 5 mcg, B1 (thiamine) - 0.346 mg, B2 (riboflavin) - 0.057 mg, B6 (pyridoxine) - 0.16 mg, B9 (folic) - 76 mcg, C - 3 mg, PP (niacin equivalent) - 1.299 mg, choline - 8.8 mg, β-carotene - 0.016 mg;
• macronutrients: calcium - 184 mg, magnesium - 183 mg, sodium - 16 mg, potassium - 350 mg, phosphorus - 213 mg;
• trace elements: iron - 30.4 mg, zinc - 2.15 mg, copper - 1027 mcg, manganese - 2.9 mg, selenium - 1.6 mcg.

The composition of nutmeg includes elemicin, myristicin, safrole, etc. Many components cause the effect of intoxication.

Nutmeg contains many vitamins, but the list of its useful qualities does not end there:

• it helps with insomnia and nervous disorders;
• strengthens the immune system;
• promotes potency;
• improves mood;
• stimulates appetite;
• removes toxins;
• helps with recovery after illness.

It is believed that nutmeg in large quantities has a narcotic effect. For the body, this is a colossal harm, which has the following manifestations:

• liver damage;
• accumulation of toxins;
• eye redness;
• dehydration;
• headache;
• increase in blood pressure and body temperature;
• vomit;
• hallucinations;
• loss of consciousness;
• disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.

In order to avoid these negative consequences, the dosage should be observed.

Nutmeg is contraindicated in the following cases:

• during pregnancy;
• with epileptic seizures;
• with high sensitivity to components;
• with nervous disorders.

Essential oil of nutmeg is obtained from the ripe fruit. Oil is also extracted from mace, and it has a more refined aroma. Nutmeg essential oil is obtained after crushing the fruit by steam distillation. On sale, it is often falsified, replacing it with analogues from synthetic substances.

High-quality oil is transparent, but at the same time slightly casts a beige color. The smell is bright, spicy and with a slight effect of intoxication. Compliance with the prescribed storage conditions will allow the oil to maintain its quality for five years.

In its pure form, the oil is used very rarely, since its high concentration contributes to the manifestation of toxic properties. Nutmeg oil pairs well with other spicy oils that have woody or floral scents.

Properties of nutmeg oil:

• Has a calming and warming effect. It quickly eliminates anxiety and the effects of stress, gives confidence. It is nutmeg oil that is used to enhance sexual desire. It is believed that it gives new sensations and vivid emotions.
• Stimulates the work of the heart and blood vessels, helps to resist the cold, normalizes the respiratory system, improving the elasticity of the bronchi. It helps relieve swelling and pain in the joints, and also has a positive effect on the digestive tract.
• It is used in cosmetology, stimulating hair growth and fighting skin diseases. It is rarely used for skin care, only to strengthen aging skin. Not recommended for sensitive skin.
• Some drinks, including coffee or alcohol, are also flavored with oil.

The culinary use of spices is very extensive:

• used to flavor confectionery;
• added to sauces, egg dishes and soups;
• used in vegetable and potato dishes;
• goes well with cheeses, meat dishes and pâtés;
• added to fish;
• puddings, fruits, desserts are sprinkled on them;
• added to paste
• used in the preparation of fruit-based compotes.

Italian chefs always add nutmeg to vegetable stews, the British sprinkle oranges with spice. In the exporting countries of the walnut, jams, jams, and sweets are made from its fruits.

The spice is used to flavor hot drinks and is often sprinkled on many cocktails.

At home, you can make an amazing hot white chocolate drink, which will add a piquancy to the spicy taste of nutmeg.

• Requires 0.5 liters of milk, a pinch of nutmeg, a few stars of star anise and a bar of white chocolate.
• Milk is poured into a saucepan, immediately add star anise and nutmeg, stir them and bring the milk to a boil.
• After boiling, the milk is boiled for another five minutes with constant stirring.
• Grated white chocolate on a coarse grater.
• The milk is removed from the heat and the chocolate is melted in it.
• It is recommended to wait until it cools down a bit. After that, you can pour it into mugs, sprinkled with a little nutmeg.

Nutmeg is a must-have ingredient for béchamel sauce, which can also be easily made at home.

• For this you need: half a teaspoon of nutmeg, 50 g of butter, 0.3 l of milk, 30 g of flour and salt to taste.
• Melt butter in a saucepan and add flour.
• The mixture is heated and stirred until foam appears.
• Slowly pour in cold milk, not forgetting to constantly stir the sauce.
• The mixture is boiled until it acquires a thicker consistency, after which salt and nutmeg are added to it.
• The sauce is removed from the heat.

The healing properties of nutmeg were described by Avicena.

Nutmeg has important medicinal properties that are used in the following cases:

• for pain relief for joint or muscle pain;
• for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• for the treatment of headaches;
• to eliminate insomnia and treat nervous disorders;
• to strengthen immunity;
• to improve the work of the heart;
• to improve erection in men;
• to cleanse the blood and organs of toxins;
• to fight inflammatory diseases;
• to regulate the menstrual cycle;
• to improve well-being with varicose veins;
• for the prevention of cancer.

Nutmeg is often added to creams that are used to warm joints and heal wounds faster.

• To relieve a headache, a teaspoon of nutmeg is diluted in three tablespoons of milk. The resulting liquid is used as a compress on the forehead.
• To improve the functioning of the digestive system, half a glass of yogurt without additives is diluted with half a glass of boiled water at room temperature. Add a third of a teaspoon of grated ginger and nutmeg to this composition and drink at night.
• To sleep better, it is recommended to drink warm milk before going to bed, in 250 ml of which a quarter teaspoon of grated nutmeg is diluted.
• For pain in the joints and muscles, gruel is made from grated nutmeg and vegetable oil, taken in equal proportions. The mixture is heated and smeared with it on the site of inflammation until it cools completely.

For weight loss, it is recommended to add nutmeg to food so that it helps it to be better absorbed. It also speeds up digestion and removes toxins, which also plays an important role. Even fatty foods, which the stomach will be difficult to digest, will be absorbed much better with the help of nutmeg.

Household uses of nutmeg are as follows:

• an exceptionally aromatic spice added to many dishes;
• oil is used to improve hair growth;
• oil also smoothes flabby and aging skin;
• flavoring of drinks, including strong ones;
• a powerful drug that is useful for the whole organism as a whole;
• a strong aphrodisiac that enhances sexual desire;
• oil is added in small doses to oriental perfume compositions.

Nutmeg is a tree that grows in hot climates. But you can even grow it on a windowsill at home, however, you will have to create an appropriate tropical environment for it.

Planting is carried out with the help of a seed enclosed in a shell; a peeled nut will not work here. The fruit is planted in soil that allows water and air to pass through. As the nut grows, it needs to be transplanted into a larger pot. If favorable conditions are created for him, then the first fruits appear after 6 years of life. In the natural growth environment, harvesting is carried out three times a year. But getting nuts when growing a tree at home is quite difficult, so more often it is planted for interest and for the sake of admiring flowers.

When growing nutmeg at home, you should rely more on luck and personal experience.

• For the first time, nutmeg seeds were brought to the island of Grenada in the middle of the 19th century. After the plantations were set up, nutmeg became the leader in exports.
• On the island of Grenada, nutmeg is of paramount importance, so in the 1970s it was placed on the island's flag after independence.
• In the Middle Ages, the nut was used exclusively for medicinal purposes, and not as a spice, and only by the 16th century did its heyday begin. The Dutch East India Company controlled the nutmeg trade for a century and a half in the most strict way, but over time the monopoly was eliminated.
• Nutmegs were burned during coronations to disinfect the air and give it a pleasant aroma, while essential oils were used for the personal hygiene of royalty.
• Several cases of death from an overdose of nutmeg have been recorded.
• Before the Dutch, the monopoly on the nutmeg trade belonged to the Portuguese.
• Oddly enough, the British began to grow nutmeg on the Indonesian Peninsula and in China, who organized their own plantations there.
• In the 18th century, the French stole nutmeg seeds and secretly planted them on their own plantations in Madagascar. The tree did well there.
• Until the beginning of the 20th century, Grenada accounted for the largest share of nutmeg exports, but after a severe hurricane in 2004, many plantations were damaged, so they had to be restored.