What is nutmeg(Rou Dou Kou)?
It refers to the ripe seed of the nutmeg plant, which can be anyone in genus Myristica but mainly the species Myristica fragrans Houtt since commercially it is the most popular source of essential oils, nutmeg and mace, nutmeg butter, and extracted oleoresin. Other names of it include Nuez Moscada, Jaatipatree, Muscade, nutmeg seeds, Jaiphal, Myristica officinalis, Ron Dau Kou, nutmeg tree nut, Semen Myristicae, Macis, Muscadier, Semen Myristicae Fragrantis, nutmeg spice, Myristicae Aril, Rou Kou, etc. Myristica fragrans is native to the area of Moluccas Spice Islands and today also cultivated in Southeast Asia’s Penang, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, West Indies, Grenada and other places. In China, it is mainly cultivated in Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Hainan provinces. It is usually harvested in winter and spring when the fruit is ripe. After that, it still needs to be peeled and dried. And it is usually used baked and defatted.
Myristica fragrans is one of evergreen trees, up to 20 meters in height. Alternate nutmeg leaves are oval-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 5 to 15cm long, leathery, and with caudate apex, acute base, entire margin, yellowish brown upper surface and darker lower surface, red-brown veins, and 6 to 12mm petiole. Nutmeg flower is dioecious; racemes of male flower is 2.5 to 5cm long; scale-like bracts are small; sparse flowers are yellow-white, oval or pot-shaped, 6mm long, and drooping; 9 to 12 anthers form a cylindrical column with a handle. Pear-shaped or nearly spherical fruits are sagging, 3.5 to 6cm long, pale red or yellow, 2 parted when mature with exposed reddish aril. Woody seeds are in the shape of prolate spheroid.
Nutmeg benefits
The benefits of nutmeg and mace are numerous. However, the health benefits of consuming nutmeg can be analyzed from two major perspectives – nutmeg used as drug and spice.
Uses of nutmeg in cooking
Eating nutmeg as spice is a traditional cooking custom in many countries. Because of its heavy aroma and spectacular taste, usually a pinch of nutmeg powder is more than enough during cooking. After the maritime exploration in the Age of Discovery, many related recipes have been invented. This is simply because this spice can enhance the taste of vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, carrots, squash, cabbage, potatoes and others. In the meantime it is also one of the indispensable spices that can add flavors in wine, coffee, baked pastry, spaghetti sauce, cheese, cakes, biscuits, fish, beef, mutton, and so on. In addition, it is often mixed with other edible flavors too for the processed meats like sausage and hot dogs.