Mace in the kitchen
Mace is the envelope that surrounds the nutmeg. Subtly different, the two spices have their own peculiarities: the mace is, meanwhile, more fragrant than the nutmeg, with floral and lemony notes.
We can use mace in sausages (sausage, ham), but also in soups, sauces, canned vinegar, condiments, marinades, seafood and as it is lighter than nutmeg, it enters wonderfully in fruit desserts, gingerbread or mulled wine.
Properties
Nutmeg such as mace have digestive and aperitive properties.
They are also antiseptic, antiparasitic and analgesic.
History
Already used in ancient Egypt for the embalming of the dead, its appearance in ancient Greece is later.
In the Middle Ages, nutmeg gained importance and became the second most coveted spice after pepper.
However, mace has always been more expensive than nutmeg, and it has long been ignored that both came from the same fruit!
Plant
Evergreen tree native to the Moluccan islands and Guinea, the nutmeg can reach 18m high.
It produces its first fruits after 15 to 20 years. These, of the shape and the color of an apricot, open in two when they have reached maturity.
The seed inside is nutmeg while its envelope of bright red fibers is mace.
The leaves are leathery, alternate, elliptical and bright green on the upper side.
