Spice
Buyer’s Journal: Nutmeg Field Report
Destination: Eastern Indonesia
Follow along as spice buyer Al Goetze visits the nutmeg groves of Indonesia.
We'll learn a few tricks of the trade while we get a taste of the exotic
islands that are home to this aromatic spice.
by Al Goetze, Chief Spice Buyer for McCormick & Company
I can’t
imagine a holiday celebration without a glass of eggnog, sprinkled with the
spicy, sweet flavor of nutmeg. As chief spice buyer for McCormick, what
fascinates me most about this simple holiday pleasure is where nutmeg comes from
– both geographically and botanically. And, that takes me to Eastern Indonesia,
where the vast majority of the world’s nutmeg is cultivated.
The fruit of a tall,
tropical tree, Myristica fragrens,
is the source of not just one, but two aromatic spices – nutmeg and mace. Nutmeg
is actually the seed from the fruit of the tree, which can grow to a height of
50 feet and live up to 75 years. Although the tree bears some fruit year round,
the main harvests are concentrated around March/April and October/November.
The annual world production of nutmeg is approximately 13 million pounds,
relatively small when compared to the other holiday favorite – cinnamon.
Indonesia grows about 75% of the world’s nutmeg, while Grenada is another major
producer. Unfortunately, extensive tree damage from Hurricane Ivan in 2004
dramatically reduced the amount of nutmegs Grenada has been able to cultivate in
recent years.
Native to the famous Molucca Islands, located in Eastern Indonesia, the
first nutmeg trees grew on the eastern islands of Ternate and Ambon. Today,
the majority of nutmeg trees are farmed in a series of small islands just
north of Sulawesi, with one of the major islands being Siau. All the islands
still border the Molucca Sea, and are located within 5 degrees north and
south of the equator. Many have beautiful terrain, with lush green volcanic
mountain ranges. Nutmegs grow best in elevations of 1,000 to 2,000 feet, and
thrive very well in the nutrient-rich volcanic soil. The island of Siau has
a large volcano which has been very active recently, making a visit there
interesting to say the least! The only way to get to this island is by an
all night ferry, in a pretty rough sea setting. Imagine arriving on this
island exhausted, somewhat sea sick, only to be greeted by a very active
volcano. Now this makes spice buying an adventure!
As I approach
one of the many groves on Siau, I see tree branches full of yellow fruit,
similar in size to nectarines. The outer portion of the fruit – the largest part
– is fleshy and has the consistency of an unripe nectarine. It actually tastes
like nutmeg! This part of the fruit is often used for making preserves and
syrup.
When the fruit fully ripens on the tree, it naturally splits open, then falls to
the ground where it is collected by the farmers. Breaking open the fruit reveals
a lacy, scarlet red membrane that envelops a dark brown, brittle shell. The
membrane is called the aril, which turns a dull red-orange when sun-dried by the
harvesters. The dried aril is mace, which has a similar taste and aroma to
nutmeg, but is slightly more delicate. After the mace is removed, what remains
is the hard outer shell covering the nutmeg.
The nutmeg is extremely aromatic and has one of the highest amounts of volatile
oil of all the spices. After sun-drying to develop its distinctive flavor, the
outer shell is removed. Nutmegs are then sorted by size and visual appearance.
The largest and most intact nutmegs are sold whole, and can be found in your
local grocery store ready to be freshly grated. If you have a recipe that calls
for mace, in a pinch, you can use nutmeg instead.
Nutmeg is one of the most popular holiday spices, and a part of nearly every
cuisine. I enjoy nutmeg as a delicious flavor accent in vegetables, cookies,
beverages and desserts. I hope you will try two of my family’s favorite holiday
desserts this season: pumpkin cheesecake and eggnog thumbprints.
Until our next adventure, happy holidays and best wishes for the New Year,
