“I had a little nut tree, nothing would it bear But a silver nutmeg and a golden pear.
The King of Spain's daughter came to visit me, And all for the sake of my little nut tree.
” -Traditional English nursery rhyme, possibly dating to c1500

Nutmeg is a popular spice in the UK, used mainly during the festive season as a flavouring in Christmas cakes, Christmas puddings, mince pies and, of course, mulled wine.
In contrast, fewer people will have heard of mace – the sister spice to nutmeg, which tastes very like nutmeg but is thought to be slightly less sweet and to have a more delicate flavour.
In fact, the fruit of the nutmeg tree (Myristica fragrans) provides two spices: nutmeg and mace.
Nutmeg is derived from the nut or kernel of the fruit, around which is found a soft red coat of tendrils – this is mace.
The histories of the two are therefore inextricably bound together.
The nutmeg tree originally grew only in the remote and tiny group of Indonesian islands known as the Maluku Islands (once called the Spice Islands), and nutmeg is not thought to have reached the West until the 6th century CE, when it was brought to Constantipole by Arab traders.
By the 12th century CE, after the Crusaders had brought it back from the Holy Land, nutmeg was in great demand throughout Europe.
Because mace is not mentioned in early European descriptions of spices, it is thought possible that it was not considered a spice by Europeans until long after nutmeg had become popular.
In the 15th century, the Spice Islands came under Portuguese control and remained so until the 18th century when they came under Dutch control.
It was not until nutmeg seedlings were smuggled out from the Spice Islands that the Dutch stranglehold on the nutmeg market was broken.
Medicinal Action and Uses Ancient Indian and Chinese societies considered nutmeg and mace as stimulants, digestion promoters and aphrodisiacs.
The Arabs used it to treat digestive problems and also valued it as an aphrodisiac.
Nutmeg was thought to have magical properties, and in Elizabethan times it was believed that nutmeg could protect from the plague.
Even in early 20th century England it was believed that carrying a nutmeg in your pocket could cure various ailments.
Whereas low doses of nutmeg or mace produce no noticeable physiological or neurological effects in the body, larger amounts can produce hallucinations, stomach cramps, convulsions, palpitations and nausea, and can even be lethal if taken in very large doses.
In mediaeval days, wealthy people who could afford the spice were said to add powdered nutmeg to their wine to intensify the hallucinogenic effect.
Nutmeg has been used in cooking in India since ancient times, and in medieval and renaissance times, it also became hugely popular in Europe, being added in large amounts to various dishes.
Today, nutmeg is still used widely as a spice in cooking (mace, which is considered more aromatic, is used in making haggis, sausages and processed meats), and the essential oil is a flavouring in cola drinks.
Nutmeg is also widely used in the perfumery and pharmaceutical industries (in tooth paste and cough mixtures).
Nutmeg and aromatherapy Essential oils can be produced from both nutmeg and mace; however, the therapeutic effects of the two are the same.
Very little mace essential oil is produced today, as the perfumery industry no longer distinguishes between the two.
Nutmeg essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the crushed nutmegs, and is colourless or light yellow, smelling and tasting of nutmeg.
Because of the hallucinatory effects associated with the use of large amounts of nutmeg, the oil should be used in only small amounts and with caution.
Externally, the essential oil has been used in a carrier oil to treat rheumatic pain by massage.
It has also been given internally in honey for digestive upsets such as nausea, gastroenteritis, chronic diarrhea and indigestion, and for halitosis.
It can also, of course, be used in cooking, as a replacement for the dried spice.
Nutmeg essential oil combines well with thyme and rosemary.
Enjoy the wonderful aromas of Christmas! Sources http://www.
moodfoods.
com/nutmeg/index.
html http://en.
wikipedia.
org/wiki/Nutmeg http://www.
moscowfood.
coop/archive/nutmeg.
html [http://unitproj1.
library.
ucla.
edu/biomed/spice/index.
cfm?displayID=19] http://www.
soupsong.
com/fnutmeg.
html