Nutmeg and mace (Myristica fragrans)
MYRISTICACEAE, Nutmeg Family
The evergreen nutmeg tree, which is native to the Moluccas and other tropical islands of the East Indies, produces two important spices from its large seed: nutmeg, which is a powder formed from grinding the kernel of the seed; and mace, which is a fleshy, red or orange covering (aril) surrounding the seed. There are really no ancient records of either product until 540 A.D. in Constantinople, although nutmeg must have been used in Indonesia, India, and China long before then. Before Henry VI of England entered Rome in 1191 (during the Crusades), the streets were "fumigated" with nutmeg. Chaucer talked about nutmeg in ale, which was a popular drink then, and mace was very highly regarded throughout Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods.
Nutmeg, along with cloves, was sought by Columbus when he found the West Indies, but it was the Portuguese who were first to capture the nutmeg plantations in the Moluccas and thereby control the trade until the Dutch stepped in. The Dutch tried to limit nutmeg production (along with cloves, Syzygium) by destroying trees and by rendering the seeds inviable by soaking them in sodium hydroxide. Their efforts on restricting this plant were thwarted by fruit pigeons, which swallowed the large seeds whole and carried them to other islands. The Dutch even burned supplies of nutmeg in Amsterdam to maintain very high prices. In 1770, the Frenchman Pierre Poivre smuggled live plants to Mauritius to set up plantations, but plants were subsequently carried to the Seychelles (1772) and later to British Zanzibar (1818). The British carried live trees out of the Moluccas for the East India Company, and the botanist involved in the project was earlier one of the crew members on the Providence with Captain Bligh. British plantations were established in the early 1800s in Asia and the West Indies. Today the best nutmeg and mace are produced on Grenada in the West Indies, but much also comes from Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Interestingly, Grenada only became the world leader because of the world wars, which established Grenada as a dependable and superior supplier.
The aromatic compounds of nutmeg are used to flavor eggnog, baked goods, and a wide variety of foods, cosmetics, and perfumes. In Asia, nutmeg may be added to betel chew. During the 1960s, U.S. hippies tried to get hallocinogenic highs from consuming tablespoons of nutmeg, but with many unpleasant side effects, because in large doses nutmeg causes terrible hangovers and nausea, and poor results. Ironically, some of these same, stoned individuals received the other product, mace, when they were sprayed with tear gas, which contains mace as an irritant. Bummer...