Author: Rocky Point Times

Besides pepper and cloves, there was a third spice which helped usher in the discovery of the Americas and an alternate route to the East that previously had only been accessible by a long overland journey on the Silk Road; nutmeg. Nutmeg is a seed that comes from the Myristica Fragrans, an evergreen tree, native to the Banda Islands of Indonesia. The flowers give off a distinct aroma and produces a fruit with 3 layers. The outer layer is used for jelly, then a red membrane known as mace and the nutmeg seed. Nutmeg is more pungent and sweeter than mace. The tree takes seven to nine years to bear fruit after planting it;