| Origin | An evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas (or Spice Islands) of Indonesia. |
| Description | The nutmeg nut and its lacy, scarlet-coloured, fibrous mace are obtained from the fruit of the nutmeg tree. |
| Growth Habitat | Grows in tropical climates around the world. |
| Foliage | Long, glossy, dark-green leaves. |
| Flowers | Both male and female trees produce bell-shaped flowers with pale yellow, waxy petals. |
| Fruits | The nutmeg fruit, in fact, is a drupe, about the size of an apricot, which when it ripens splits up to reveal single oval- shaped hard kernel or seed known as "nutmeg spice." The seed is wrapped by crimson-red colored lacy or thread like arils known as "mace." Both spices have a similar warm, sweet aromatic flavor. |
| Harvest | As soon as the fruits split or about to split they are hand picked from the trees. Fruits are opened by hand and the mace is removed from the nut by cutting with a small pointed knife where it is attached to the base of the nut. The nuts are dried until the kernel rattles in the shell. Dried nutmeg can be sold as it is or can be shelled and sold only the kernel. The mace is flattened by hand and dried slowly under the sun until a bright orange-yellow fragrant product is obtained. |
| Soil | Nutmeg trees grow well in deep well drained loams, and sandy clay loams rich in organic matter. Soils with high water table or liable to water logging are unsuitable. |
| Pruning | Pruning will help to maintain flower, fruit and seed production. Remove water shoots, upright and dead wood branches. |
| Fertilization | Apply 10 kg cattle manure or compost per seedling during the first year. Increase the quantity gradually till a well-grown tree of 15 years and above receives 50 kg of organic manure per year. Apply N:P2O5:K2O @ 20:18:50 g/plant during the first year. This may be doubled in the next year. Gradually increase the N:P2O5:K2O dose to 500:250:1000 g/plant/year to obtain full dose from 15th year onwards. |
| Propagation | Epicotyl grafting being the most widely adopted standard of propagation. |
| Nutritional Properties | 100g of ground nutmeg has 5.8g of protein, 36.31g of fat, 20.8g of dietary fibre, 0.34mg of Thiamin, 1.027mg of copper, 2.9mg of manganese, 183mg of magnesium, 3.04mg of iron, 2 kinds of photonutrients such as carotene- and cryto-xanthin- among many other nutrients. |
| Health Benefits | Pain relief: Nutmeg oil is very useful for treating muscular and joint pain and sores, as it is an excellent sedative. It is also anti-inflammatory, therefore it’s oil is an effective massage treatment for arthritis, rheumatism, lumbago, etc. Nutmeg oil is an essential part of the Chinese medicine when it comes to treating abdominal pain, and inflammation. Menstrual cramps: Nutmeg oil is very helpful for women who have menstrual irregularities and cramps. Indigestion: Nutmeg oil is good for digestion and helps in relieving stomachaches and removing gas from the stomach and intestine eg indigestion, flatulence, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. It also encourages appetite. Care should be taken to consume nutmeg oil internally in smaller doses. Blood pressure: Nutmeg oil is a good stimulant for both the mind and the entire body. Its relaxing aroma comforts the body and increases blood circulation. Respiratory problems: Nutmeg oil form an important ingredient in many cough syrups and cold rubs as it helps in relieving cough and cold. It is also believed that nutmeg oil is beneficial for treating asthma. Brain tonic: Nutmeg oil stimulates the brain and therefore removes mental exhaustion and stress. It is a good remedy for anxiety as well as depression and often used in homeopathy. In the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, nutmeg was popular as an effective brain tonic in spite of its high cost and rarity. Heart problems: Nutmeg oil stimulates the cardiovascular system and therefore is a good tonic for the heart. Bad breath: The woody aroma of nutmeg oil helps in removing bad breadth. It is also antiseptic in nature hence, effective for toothaches and aching gums. As a result, it is added in numerous toothpastes. Liver tonic: An important health benefit of nutmeg oil is its ability to treat liver diseases. The oil is capable of removing toxins from the liver, thereby making it a good liver tonic. Kidney: Nutmeg oil is often recommended for treating kidney infections and kidney diseases. It also helps in dissolving kidney stones. |
| Commercial Uses | Spice: The herb is very popular as a spice and is often used for culinary purposes. In cooking nutmeg is versatile and can be used in potato dishes and meat preparations in Europe, garam masala in India, and curry ingredient in Japan. Incense: Nutmeg is used in various incense sticks due to its woody fragrance. It is also believed that Roman priest used to burn nutmeg as incense. Flavor: Nutmeg or Jaiphal as it is called in Hindi is a very popular flavoring agent in making sweets in India. It is also used in baked goods, sauce, ice cream, custards, etc. Certain coffee drinks including cappuccino are used are flavored using nutmeg and cinnamon. Soaps: The antiseptic properties of nutmeg make it useful in the manufacture of antiseptic soaps. Nutmeg essential oil is used for bath due to its refreshing nature. Cosmetics: Since nutmeg oil is antibacterial and antiseptic, it is used in many cosmetics meant for dull, oil and wrinkled skin. It is also used in making after shave lotions and creams. Room freshener: Nutmeg oil can also be used as a room freshener. It blends well with many other essential oils including lavender, rosemary, orange, black pepper, clary sage, eucalyptus, ginger, ylang ylang, etc Tobacco: Nutmeg oil is also used in the tobacco industry. |
| Food Suggestion | Twisterrific Ingredients: - 250ml chilled Twister Apple juice - 4 strawberries - 4 prunes - 1 scoop vanilla yogurt - 1 scoop ice cubes - A dash of nutmeg powder Method 1.Pour Twister Apple into a blender. 2.Then add in 4 strawberries, 4 prunes, a scoop of vanilla yogurt and a scoop of ice cubes. 3.Sprinkle a dash of nutmeg powder and blend. 4.Garnish your drink with strawberries and enjoy. |
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