Nutmeg (Buah Pala)
Nutmeg is used to add a sweet and savory flavor to a variety of foods. It is made from the seed inside the hard pit of the peach like fruit grown on the nutmeg tree. The yellow colored fruit is edible and the casting around the pit, referred to as mace, is also harvested, dried and used as a spice. When first removed from the nutmeg seed, this mesh casing or membrane (aril) is oval shaped and somewhat brittle. It is flattened, dried and sold as mace blades or ground mace. Nutmeg mace has a sweet and flavorful spice, which can be substituted for nutmeg or cinnamon to complement a variety of foods. Food manufacturers use mace to flavor hot dogs and donuts.
Usage: When grating a whole nutmeg, the best tool to use is a special nutmeg grater or grinder. Nutmeg is most often used with sweet dishes such as pies, custards, puddings, cookies and cakes.