Editing Nutmeg (section)

== Uses ==
[[File:Sweet and spicy nutmeg.JPG|thumb|Indonesian ''manisan pala'' (nutmeg sweets).]]

=== Spice ===
Nutmeg and mace have similar sensory qualities, with nutmeg having a slightly sweeter and mace a more delicate flavour. Mace is often preferred in light dishes for the bright orange, [[saffron]]-like hue it imparts. Nutmeg is used for flavouring many dishes. Whole nutmeg can also be ground at home using  [[Nutmeg grater|a grater specifically designed for nutmeg]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Oulton, Randal|title=Nutmeg Graters|publisher=CooksInfo.com|date=18 February 2007|url=http://www.cooksinfo.com/nutmeg-graters|access-date=8 April 2018|archive-date=10 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110114712/http://www.cooksinfo.com/nutmeg-graters|url-status=live}}</ref> or a [[Grater|multi-purpose grating tool]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Barber, Casey|title=Do you really need a Microplane for your kitchen? Yes, and here's why|publisher=today.com|date=18 February 2007|url=https://www.today.com/food/why-microplane-worth-it-investment-your-kitchen-t103644|access-date=8 November 2019|archive-date=8 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108150932/https://www.today.com/food/why-microplane-worth-it-investment-your-kitchen-t103644|url-status=live}}</ref>

In [[Indonesian cuisine]], nutmeg is used in dishes<ref name="MeyerVann2008">{{cite book|author1=Arthur L. Meyer|author2=Jon M. Vann|title=The Appetizer Atlas: A World of Small Bites|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qUOcpdtYIFwC|year=2008|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|isbn=978-0-544-17738-3|page=196}}</ref> such as spicy soups including variants of [[Soto (food)|''soto'']], ''[[konro]]'', [[oxtail soup]], ''sup iga'' (ribs soup), ''[[bakso]]'', and ''[[Sup Kambing|sup kambing]]''. It is also used in gravy for meat dishes, such as ''[[Semur (Indonesian stew)|semur]]'', beef stew, ribs with tomato, and European derived dishes such as ''bistik'' (beef steak), ''rolade'' (minced meat roll), and ''bistik lidah'' (beef tongue steak).{{cn|date=October 2024}}

In [[Indian cuisine]], nutmeg is used in many sweet, as well as savoury, dishes. In Kerala [[Malabar region]], grated nutmeg is used in meat preparations and also sparingly added to desserts for the flavour. It may also be used in small quantities in ''[[garam masala]]''.<ref name="Chapman2007">{{cite book|author=Pat Chapman|title=India Food and Cooking: The Ultimate Book on Indian Cuisine|year=2007|publisher=New Holland Publishers|isbn=978-1-84537-619-2|page=16}}</ref>

In traditional [[European cuisine]], nutmeg and mace are used especially in [[potato]] and spinach dishes and in processed meat products; they are also used in soups, sauces, and baked goods. It is also commonly used in [[rice pudding]]. In [[Dutch cuisine]], nutmeg is added to vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and string beans. Nutmeg is a traditional ingredient in [[mulled cider]], [[mulled wine]], [[junket (dessert)|junket]] and [[eggnog]]. In Scotland, mace and nutmeg are usually both ingredients in [[haggis]]. In [[Italian cuisine]], nutmeg is used as part of the stuffing for many regional meat-filled dumplings like [[tortellini]], as well as for the traditional [[meatloaf]].{{cn|date=October 2024}} 
Nutmeg is a common spice for [[pumpkin pie]] and in recipes for other [[winter squash]]es, such as baked [[acorn squash]]. In the Caribbean, nutmeg is often used in drinks, such as the [[Bushwacker (cocktail)|Bushwacker]], [[Painkiller (cocktail)|Painkiller]], and Barbados [[rum]] punch. Typically, it is a sprinkle on top of the drink.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

=== Fruit ===
[[File:Fresh nutmeg in Zanzibar (Tanzania).JPG|thumb|Fresh nutmeg in Zanzibar (Tanzania).]]

The [[pericarp]] (fruit covering) is used to make jam, or is finely sliced, cooked with sugar, and crystallised to make a fragrant candy. Sliced nutmeg fruit flesh is made as ''manisan'' (sweets), either wet, which is seasoned in sugary syrup liquid, or dry coated with sugar, a dessert called ''manisan pala'' in Indonesia. In [[Penang cuisine]], dried, shredded nutmeg rind with sugar coating is used as toppings on the uniquely Penang ''[[ais kacang]]''. The flesh of the nutmeg fruit is also blended, in the fresh state, into a type of [[smoothie]] (white in colour and having a fresh, ‘green’, tangy taste); or boiled, resulting in a brown liquid, much sweeter in taste, which is used in the preparation of iced drinks. In Kerala [[Malabar region]] of India, it is used for juice, pickles and chutney.<ref name="Chapman2007"/>

=== Essential oil ===
The essential oil obtained by [[steam distillation]] of ground nutmeg<ref name="fao">{{cite web|title=Description of components of nutmeg|url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/v4084e/v4084e04.htm|publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations|date=September 1994|access-date=2017-04-13|archive-date=2017-05-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529061404/http://www.fao.org/docrep/v4084e/v4084e04.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> is used in the [[perfumery]] and [[pharmaceutical]] industries. The [[Volatile organic compound|volatile]] fraction contains dozens of [[terpene]]s and [[phenylpropanoid]]s, including {{sc|D}}-[[pinene]], [[limonene]], {{sc|D}}-[[borneol]], {{sc|L}}-[[terpineol]], [[geraniol]], [[safrole]], and [[myristicin]].<ref name=fao/><ref>{{cite journal|pmc=5222521|year=2016|last1=Abourashed|first1=E. A.|title=Chemical diversity and pharmacological significance of the secondary metabolites of nutmeg (''Myristica fragrans'' Houtt.)|journal=Phytochemistry Reviews|volume=15|issue=6|pages=1035–1056|last2=El-Alfy|first2=A. T.|pmid=28082856|doi=10.1007/s11101-016-9469-x|bibcode=2016PChRv..15.1035A }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|pmid=22429024|year=2012|last1=Piras|first1=A.|title=Extraction and separation of volatile and fixed oils from seeds of ''Myristica fragrans'' by supercritical CO<sub>2</sub>: Chemical composition and cytotoxic activity on Caco-2 cancer cells|journal=Journal of Food Science|volume=77|issue=4|pages=C448–53|last2=Rosa|first2=A.|last3=Marongiu|first3=B.|last4=Atzeri|first4=A.|last5=Dessì|first5=M. A.|last6=Falconieri|first6=D.|last7=Porcedda|first7=S.|doi=10.1111/j.1750-3841.2012.02618.x}}</ref> In its pure form, myristicin is a [[toxicity|toxin]], and consumption of excessive amounts of nutmeg can result in myristicin poisoning.<ref name=jmt/>

The oil is colorless or light yellow, and smells and tastes of nutmeg. It is used as a natural food flavoring in [[baked goods]], syrups, beverages, and sweets. It is used to replace ground nutmeg, as it leaves no particles in the food. The essential oil is also used in the manufacturing of [[toothpaste]] and [[cough syrup]]s.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dKA5DwAAQBAJ&q=nutmeg+essential+oil+toothpaste+cough+syrup&pg=PA21|title=Grenada: Carriacou and Petite Martinique|last=Crask|first=Paul|date=2017-11-05|publisher=Bradt Travel Guides|isbn=9781784770624|language=en|access-date=2020-10-06|archive-date=2023-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630115035/https://books.google.com/books?id=dKA5DwAAQBAJ&q=nutmeg+essential+oil+toothpaste+cough+syrup&pg=PA21|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Nutmeg butter ===
Nutmeg butter is obtained from the nut by [[Ram press (food)|expression]]. It is semisolid, reddish-brown in colour, and has the taste and smell of nutmeg itself.<ref name=fao/> About 75% (by weight) of nutmeg butter is [[trimyristin]], which can be turned into [[myristic acid]], a 14-carbon [[fatty acid]], which can be used as a replacement for [[cocoa butter]], can be mixed with other fats like [[cottonseed oil]] or [[palm oil]], and has applications as an industrial [[lubricant]].{{cn|date=October 2024}}