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Nutmeg is the seed of Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree. The tree gives two spices, mace and nutmeg. The fruit has a slightly sweet, warm and pungent fragrance and taste. It is immensely used as a flavouring agent in food and confectionary items. Nutmeg belongs to the family Myristicaceae or the family of flowering plants.
Freshly dried fruits of nutmegs are oval shaped, gray brown in colour and have many furrows on the surface. These fruits are roughly covered with crimson-red coloured aril or reddish seed covering called Mace. The mace has finer taste, as compared with nutmeg and is also used to flavour various dishes. Nutmeg and mace have the similar qualities; impart delicate sweet taste and saffron or orange-like hue to the dishes. Both are mostly available in grated or ground form.
The plant Myristica fragrans is native to Indonesia, Malaysia, southern India and Kerala.
Earlier it was used by the Romans as a fragrance in incense. The plant is nearly more than 15 meters in height, and the fruit resembles an apricot.
The crimson coloured mace contains 7-14% oils in which include dipentene, camphene and pinene as the main components.
Nutmeg consists of 45-60% of cellulose a solid material and 30-55% of the oils. It contains two types of oil, volatile oil and the fixed oil, later one is also known as nutmeg butter or mace oil. Oil has many applications including carminative, as a spice and to scent perfumes and soap.
The essential oil obtained from nutmeg is pale yellow in colour. Pinene and camphene are the major components of the oil. Other components of the oil are dipentene, borneol, linalool, geraniol, myristicin, eugenol and safrole. It also contains aromatic ethers, terpenes, monoterpenes alcohol, terpinic esters, acids and aromatic hydrocarbons. It also contains calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron, and fibres.
Essential oils have been used widely as a flavouring agent, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
Benefits of Nutmeg
Therapeutic value of nutmeg is responsible for its presence in Daily Boost Tea.