Nutmeg

Nutmeg

Nutmeg and nut mace are two spices from the same fruit. Nutmeg is the kernel inside the seed, whereas mace is the red threadlike covering on the seed. Once harvested from the tree, its outer coat or husk is removed. Just underneath the husk there is a golden-brown color blade covered around the seed called “mace”. The seed is called “nutmeg”. Mace is gently peeled off from the kernel surface, flattened into strips, dried, and sold either as whole or ground. Its kernel is then dried under the sun for several days to weeks.

It is used in many sweet and savoury dishes in Indian cuisine. Preparation of meat products, soups, sauces, baked foods, confectionaries, puddings, seasoning of meat and vegetable etc. The spice in the ground form is mainly used in the food processing industry.

This spice is an excellent source of minerals like copper, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, zinc and magnesium. And it has many health benefits such as,

• Helps in proper digestion of food.
• Acts as a good remedy for depression and anxiety.
• It helps to detox the liver and the kidney.
• Improves the mental functions
• provides relief from joint or muscular pain.
• Scrubbing nutmeg powder gently on your skin gives a glow to your skin and helps to remove blackheads.
• Its powder aids sleep by adding a pinch of powder in the milk.

Names of nutmeg in different region:

Hindi : Jaiphal

Bengali : Jaiphal

Gujarati : Jaiphal

Kannada : Jayikai

Kashmiri : Zaaphal

Malayalam : Jathikka

Marathi : Jaiphal

Oriya : Jaiphala

Punjabi : Jaiphal

sanskrit : Jatiphala

Tamil : Jathikai

Telugu : Jajikai

Urdu : Jaiphal