(Ah, I can smell that incredible smell and even feel it on my skin…)

A nutmeg pod dislodged itself from the tree, cast its shell on impact and released its single, exaggerated chocolate-magenta coloured seed with alien skin which rolled purposefully down the drive. It looked like it might just keep running, but then it came to an abrupt stop just past the kitchen doorway. It’s the pinnacle phase in a long cycle for this aromatic, potent nut.

Next time I looked up, it was gone. Must have been picked up by one of the crew members arriving for work without me noticing. We prefer to dry the nuts into a hard much lighter brown before the seed is scrapped or grated into the powder we use in cooking.

The journey of the seed up to fruition relies on a pod seed that has not been hybridised and grows on organic soil to create a healthy happy tree. The tree that this pod dropped from is about eight years old, and the pods’ sibling seeds cover the tree. Many kilos of yellow pods suspend from every branch and twig on this majestic 5-meter shapely tree. It sits at the front of the medicinal garden as it has excellent properties for healing (see below).

The pods themselves are useful for sweets and desserts, and the skins are known as mace and are also an essential spice on their own. Here is what is dependable and wholesome about nutmeg (taken from backtoorganic.com): nutmeg can clear up your skin, improve memory, aid digestion, relax muscles, treat anxiety and depression, and act as an aphrodisiac.

The spice can also decrease cavities and in bad breath through its antibacterial properties. Nutmeg is rich in copper, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, zinc and magnesium as well as B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin A, volatile oils, beta-carotene and cryptoxanthin.

Nutmeg contains the volatile oils Myristicin and Elemicin, which studies have shown stimulate the brain. “Myristicin found in nutmeg has been shown to inhibit an enzyme in the brain that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease and is used to improve memory.” (Complete Well Being).

If you would like to add a touch of this spice into your kitchen or medicine cabinet, we stock a limited amount of organically grown nutmeg and mace – fresh and naturally dried.