Nutmeg
myristica fragrans

AKA
nutmeg
nutmeg flower
black caraway
flower seed
black cumin
nigella seed
bishop's wort
small fennel flower

Parts Used
outer shell of Seed

CAUTION
Eating as few as two nutmegs can cause death.

MAGIC
GENDER: Feminine
PLANET: Jupiter
ELEMENT: Air

Clairvoyance and psychic power of visions.

divination
dreams
fertility
gain
love
meditation
money
protection
psychic developement and growth

History
Nutmeg and mace are different parts
of the same fruit of the nutmeg tree.

These spices have been appreciated since Roman times.
It had been a prized spice.
Portuguese and later Dutch tried
to monopolize the trading on this spice.

Description
Nutmeg is a tropical evergreen tree native
to Indonesia and cultivated in the West Indies, South Africa,
the Molucca Islands, India and other tropical areas.

It grows to about 60 feet and produces
fruit fifteen to twenty years after planting.
The brown, wrinkled, oval fruit contains a kernel
which is covered by a bright red membrane.
The membrane provides the spice
mace, and the kernel the spice nutmeg.

Safety
Nutmeg is a mild hallucinogenic drug, somewhat like marijuana.
In addition to hallucinations and elation, however,
eating nutmegs produces stomach pain, double vision,
delirium, and other symptoms of poisoning.

A native to the Spice Islands, this is one of the sought-after
spices that Columbus sailed the ocean blue in search of.
These days, Indonesia and Grenada are the world's main
sources of mace and nutmeg.

Mace is often mentioned alongside nutmeg because
both spices actually come from the same fruit.
Nutmeg comes from the nut of the fruit's dried pit,
while mace is the thick membrane which surrounds the nut's shell.

While mace is generally restricted to savory dishes,
nutmeg is well suited to both sweet and savory fare.


CULINARY


SOURCES
Holistic Online
Out of the Frying Pan