Name : (Bahasa) Pala (:Nutmeg), Sekar Pala (:Mace)
(Latin) Myristica Fragrans Houtt.
(English) Nutmeg, Mace
Color : Dark reddish-brown, yellowish-brown
Origin : Indonesia (Moluccas/Maluku, Banda Island)
Form : Raw, dried Nutmeg fruit, dried Mace, Nutmeg Powder
Flavor : Aromatic, nutty
Taste : Slightly sweet
Culinary : It can be used to cook sweet-spicy dishes — pies, puddings, custards,
cookies spice cakes, soufflés, cheese sauces
Medical : It can be used to treat flatulence, aid digestion, improve the appetite
and treat diarrhea, vomiting and nausea
The nutmeg
tree is a large evergreen native to the Moluccas (the Spice Islands) and
is now cultivated in the West Indies. It produces two spices — mace and
nutmeg. Nutmeg is the seed kernel inside the fruit and mace is the lacy
covering (aril) on the kernel. Both spices are strongly aromatic,
resinous and warm in taste. Nutmeg’s flavor and fragrance come from oil
of myristica, containing myristicin,
a poisonous narcotic. Mace is generally said to have a finer aroma than
nutmeg, but the difference is small. Nutmeg quickly loses its fragrance
when ground; therefore, the necessary amount should be grated from a
whole nut immediately before usage.