Ingredient: Nutmeg

Nutmeg is a ground, quintessential autumn spice made from the seed of the Myristica fragrant tree. This nutmeg evergreen tree is dark-leaved and essentially found in Indonesia. Myristica is cultivated for two widely known spices obtained from its fruit: nutmeg, taken from the inner seed of the tree, and mace; the exterior coat). To make the nutmeg spice, the tree’s seeds are dried in the sun for 6-8 weeks. During this period, the nutmeg gradually separates from its thick seed shell. Identifying that the nutmeg is ready is easy as the kernels make a sound when shaken. Then, the nutmeg gets separated from the mace. Upon extraction, the nutmeg is sold ground or whole. You can grate a whole nutmeg directly into a meal, giving a fresher flavor than using ground nutmeg bought from the store. The whole nutmeg will also last you a much longer time than ground nutmeg. Nutmeg has a unique nutty and sweet taste. Both delicate and tense, nutmeg is a spice that has a bold and distinguished aroma. Nutmeg is often used to make sweet dishes such as the signature fall beverages and desserts. The spice can also be used in countless savory dishes, like butternut squash soup, while it also pairs beautifully with recipes based on cream (or cheese), such as vegetable gratin. Nutmeg is also widely popular for making nutmeg butter. When using nutmeg whole, a nutmeg grater is needed to be able to shave off a tiny part of the seed.