nutmeg-mace-msg - 12/3/06
History and information on the spices nutmeg and mace.
NOTE: See also the files: spices-msg, poppyseeds-msg, spice-mixes-msg, vanilla-msg, gums-resins-msg, Cinnamon-Vari-art, ginger-msg, spice-storage-msg, merch-spices-msg.
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NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.
Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: una at bregeuf.stonemarche.org (9/5/95)
To: markh at sphinx
RE>Cubeb
markh at sphinx.sps.mot.com (Mark.S Harris) writes:
> Greetings unto Honour,
>
> I have had this problem myself. The only galingale I could find was
> whole, not ground.
>
> Where would I find a netmeg grater? Is that the name I would ask for?
> Is this like a cheese grater but heavier duty?
>
> What's a quern?
>
> Stefan li Rous
Respected friend:
(You have my permission to archive this with the rest of the thread)
Nutmeg graters are tiny, very fine-toothed graters sold in upscale
cooking shops and some health-food stores. They're sold under that name.
They're made out of tougher steel than the big graters; nutmeg is too hard
for even some pro chef grade electric spice grinders.
A Quern is a small, hand-operated stone gristmill for grinding
grain into flour. Mine came from Samap, in France.
You're welcome- Honour/Una/Alizaunde
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 04:55:11 -0500
From: gunnora at bga.com (Gunnora Hallakarva)
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Nutmeg Hallucination
Heilsa, All!
Just as a note about the hallucinogenic properties of nutmeg, one
Yuletide I was making packets of mulling spices for Twelfth Night gifts.
One of the ingredients I used was nutmeg. I had whole fresh nutmegs, which
I was cracking and pulverizing somewhat in a pestle. After about an hour, I
noticed that I was slightly intoxicated and felt unconnected with my body.
Seems the dust from the crunched-up nutmegs that I was inhaling caused the
effect. Now if I do much nutmeg processing, I wear a dust mask.
Wassail,
Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 20:52:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: Uduido at aol.com
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: The spice mace and where it is.
<< I have a number of recipies in my book that add the spice Mace to
>many dishes. I have had no luck in finding it in a local store and when
>I ask, they haven't heard of it. >>
Mace is the web-like covering on a nutmeg which is removed and processed
seperately from the nutmeg. There is really no "substitute" for it. Every
major grocery chain that I have been in carries it.
Lord Ras
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 08:05:26 -0600 (MDT)
From: Mary Morman <memorman at oldcolo.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Nutmegs, ground
> memorman at oldcolo.com writes:
> > it's easy to buy whole nutmegs and grind them yourself -
> > any kitchen store will sell you a nutmet grater - and the flavor is well
> > worth the effort.
>
> And pray, where would I find whole nutmegs?
> Mordonna DuBois
you find whole nutmegs in the spice section of any grocery store. I know
McCormick sells them. Just check to see if you are getting whole or
ground. the whole ones often come in the little narrow cans rather than
the glass jars - but you might find them both places.
elaina
Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 14:44:31 -0400
From: James Gilly / Alasdair mac Iain <alasdair.maciain at snet.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Nutmegs, ground
At 08:05 5-10-98 -0600, Elaina wrote:
>you find whole nutmegs in the spice section of any grocery store. I know
>McCormick sells them. Just check to see if you are getting whole or
>ground. the whole ones often come in the little narrow cans rather than
>the glass jars - but you might find them both places.
I'll agree that any supermarket should have them on the spice shelves -
both McCormick's and Spice Islands brands - but my experience has been that
whole nutmegs are always in glass jars, while ground nutmeg may be in
either jars or tins.
Alasdair mac Iain
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 23:45:09 -0400
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Cippits
> Also, one of the recipes calls for "3 leaves of mace" I've never seen a
> leave of mace- any guess how much this is?
Mace is a sort of bran layer that comes wrapped around the nutmeg
kernel. The standard modern term (and one which appears in some
late-period recipes) is a blade of mace. 3 of them would appear to grind
up to about a level teaspoon of ground mace. Now I just have to figure
out what to do with it ; ) .
Adamantius
From: jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 12:24:36 -0400 (EDT)
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Nutmeg grater?
The first mention of a nutmeg grater in the OED is from 1695, though
graters are mentioned earlier. Does anyone know when grating, rather than
pounding, of nutmeg may have come into fashion?
-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Artichoke Pie
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 20:17:35 -0600
>The recipe says "a little Mace Whole". What is meant by "Whole" in
>this? It's probably not the whole nut since the outside is nutmeg
>and the inside is mace, right? Is "whole" just being ignored in
>this redaction?
Nutmeg is the seed. Mace is a covering that wraps the nutmeg. Both are
inside of a pod or fruit. Blade or whole mace are the inner covering
removed from the nutmeg and dried. I used ground mace because I had no
blade mace.
Bear
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Artichoke Pie
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 22:44:24 -0600
Mace doesn't completely wrap the nutmeg. There are holes through it. It
looks something like an octopus wrapped around a large shellfish with some
of the shell showing. By seperating the place where the legs join, you can
remove the mace almost intact, although I gather it is easier still if you
split the mace. Whole mace is mace that has been removed from the nutmeg
and dried in large pieces as opposed to being crushed or gorund.
Bear
>Other way around. Nutmeg is the whole nut, mace is the papery part that
>covers it inside the actual shell. Lots more nutmeg than mace. I have no
>idea how you would have a whole mace, and you wouldn't want a whole nutmeg,
>they're dangerous in that amount, unless you are serving a huge crowd.
>(Back to the Herbal discussion... I know we though we'd escaped that, but
>here we are!)
>
>Perhaps all the mace of a whole nutmeg?
>
>Anne
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 23:58:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Chocolate Drink for Gunther
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
--- Avraham haRofeh of Sudentur <goldbergr1 at cox.net> wrote:
> I know nutmeg grows in the Carribean, but I
> don't know if it grew there in period, or was brought over later.
>
> Avraham
Nutmeg is native to the Molluccas. It's earliest
mention in Europe was in Constantinople during
the 9th century, when St. Theodore the Studite
allowed his monks to sprinkle it on their pease
porridge on non-meat days. It was brought to the
West Indies late in period.
It is allspice that is the only spice whose
production is totally New World.
Huette
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 18:46:02 -0500
From: ranvaig at columbus.rr.com
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Mace and Must Substitute
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
> --- ranvaig at columbus.rr.com wrote:
>> http://www.shamanshop.net/store/images/MyristicaFragrans7.jpg
>> Here is a good picture of it... the red stuff i the mace
>
> Yep. That is a good picture of Mace, and one I have not seen
> before. I was not aware that the
> fresh membrane was red. Interesting. Thanks for the link.
>
> By the way...does anyone know if the outer fruit is edible/palatable??
>
> illiam de Grandfort
http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katzer/engl/generic_frame.html?Myri_fra.html
The pulp of the nutmeg fruit is tough, almost woody, and very sour.
In Indonesia, it is used to make a delicious jam with pleasant nutmeg
aroma (selei buahpala). Other uses of the pulp are not known to me.
There are also several, even better pictures of nutmeg fruit and mace.
Ranvaig
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 16:03:44 -0500
From: Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Mace and Must Substitute
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
> By the way...does anyone know if the outer fruit is edible/palatable??
I bought, last year, some syrup made from the nutmeg fruit. It tastes
pretty much like generic pancake syrup, though.
--
-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2006 21:11:36 -0500
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Moluccan Spices was Re: It's DUCKS ;-)
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Nutmeg (Myristica fragans) is native to the Banda Islands, a group of five
islands in the eastern Moluccas. Related nutmegs, M. argentea and M.
malabarica are native to New Guinea and Southern India respectively, but
they are not of the quality of M. fragans and are used as adulterants in
commercial ground nutmeg. During the second half of the 16th Century, the
English controlled much of the nutmeg trade, but lost control of the islands
in the mid-17th Century to the Dutch. The English expanded cultivation of
nutmegs to India and Grenada after seizing the largest of the Banda Islands
early in the 19th Century.
Clove trees are native to the North Moluccas and at the time of the Dutch
colonization were grown commercially on Ternate, Tidore, Bacan and
western Halmahera.
Bear
<the end>
