Nutmeg And Mace, The Inseparables
“Nutmeg And Mace”
Spices are the core of Indian cuisine. Indian cuisine is known for its use of a wide variety of spices in unique ways.
An Indian dish is incomplete without a medley of spices that make it aromatic and flavorful. What’s special about spices is that they can completely transform any dish, sweet or savory, making it a true delicacy.
We make use of whole spices as well as ground spices in our food preparations which gives them that rich Indian flavor.
When we talk about spices, the sister spices Nutmeg and Mace come instantly to mind. The word nutmeg comes from the Latin words ‘nux’ meaning nut and ‘muscat’ meaning musky. Although these two spices are derived from the same Nutmeg tree botanically known as Myristica Frangrans, they distinctly differ in taste.
The fruit of this evergreen tree, is where the two spices are extracted from. While Nutmeg is the dried seed kernel of the fruit, Mace is the dried reticulated aril (a typically colored extra seed covering) of the same fruit.
The nutmeg tree is exclusively cultivated in Indonesia and Granada. However, we can find small plantations of this tree in India, Sri Lanka, China, Malaysia, Zanzibar, Mauritius, and Solomon Island.
Mace is a little more pungent in taste while Nutmeg has a considerably milder taste. However, both Nutmeg and Mace are most commonly used in sweet preparations. The flavors of Nutmeg and Mace complement each other as well as a number of other flavors very well.
Nutmeg is mainly used in drinks such as Piyush and other fruit punches. It is also a staple spice for bechamel sauce and onion-based or milk-based sauces. Another popular use of nutmeg is in baked or stewed fruit preparations, curries, and even pasta.
Of the two spices, Nutmeg being the sweeter, can also be used to add extra flavor to baked goods such as cookies and cakes, and even Indian sweets such as Barfi, Basundi, and Kalakand.
The warm undertones of Mace help add a little bit of spice to sweet baked goods such as sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, and even donuts. Mace is also used exclusively in rich Indian preparations as a whole spice, adding a sweet, woody flavor to the dish. It is used in Biryani, Pulao preparations.
These spices have several health benefits as well. They have antioxidant properties to help in boosting your immune system. It is also a great source of Vitamins A and C along with other minerals such as iron, calcium, copper, and magnesium.
You can use these spices in your everyday food preparations like-
For more such recipes, click here.
You can add a pinch of Dwaraka Organic Nutmeg to make your food healthier and tastier.
