Nutmeg Powder

Nutmeg is a spice produced from a fruit of an evergreen tree usually 9-12 mtr high. It is the dried seed kernel of the fruit. The trees are normally unisexual, bearing either male or female flowers. The male flowers are born in clusters, whereas female wers are often solitary. Fruits feshydrupe, spherical in shape, pale yellow in colour with a longitudinal groove in the centre. When the fruit matures it burst open along the groove exposing the bright attractive mace, covering the hard black, shiny shell of the seed called nutmeg. The nutmeg tree is indigenous to the Moluccas. The major nutmeg growing areas are Indonesia and Granada. It also grows on a smaller scale in Sri Lanka, India, China, Malaysia, Zanzibar, Mauritius, and Solomon Island. Nutmeg thrives well in places with warm humid climates from sea level up to 600 meters MSL. It grows on a variety of soils from sandy to clayey loams and red laterite soils with good drainage. A well distributed annual rainfall of 250 cm is ideal for the crop. Nutmeg oleoresin is used in the preparation of meat products, soups, sauces, baked foods, confectionaries, puddings, seasoning of meat and vegetable etc. The freshy outer cover of the fruit is crystallized or pickled or made into jellies. Nutmeg oil is used in cosmetics and toiletries. An ointment of nutmeg butter has been used as a counterirritant and in treatment of rheumatism.