What is nutmeg. How to use nutmeg in cooking. Useful and medicinal properties

Nutmeg is one of the most valued spices, known since antiquity for its beneficial and medicinal properties. In fact, this is not even a nut, but the fruit of an evergreen tropical tree called nutmeg, similar to an apricot pit. The hard brown seeds are pleasantly warm, spicy and sweet. Its properties with great benefit used in various areas of life. As a spice, the nut is used in cooking. IN traditional medicine- for the treatment of many diseases. Not bypassed nutmeg cosmetology and perfumery. It can perfectly help to cope with pain, calm and relieve nervousness, relieve insomnia.

What does nutmeg look like and where does it grow?

Muskatnik is native to a region in the Moluccas region of Indonesia. The main walnut growing and harvesting plantations are located on Banda Island. It is grown in the countries of the Caribbean region, on the island of Grenada. There are plantations of this spice in India in the state of Kerala, in New Guinea.

The nutmeg tree is evergreen tree height from 9 to 12 meters, belongs to the Muskatnikovye family, which has about 10 species.

Muscatine blooms with small yellowish flowers in the form of bells with a very strong smell. The fruits are yellow with red and green spots, edible.

The tree after planting begins to bear the first fruits in the seventh, ninth year and reaches full yield by the age of 20.

Nutmeg gives two spices at once: nutmeg and mace.

Nutmeg is an oval-shaped fruit 20 to 30 mm long and 15 to 18 mm wide. The weight of one fruit is approximately 5 to 10 grams.

Macis is the dried bract that surrounds the fruit.

The first mention of the use of nutmeg in Europe appeared in the 1st century AD. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder spoke in his writings about a tree that gives spices with two different flavors. So at that distant time, this spicy spice somehow got to Europe with the merchants.

It became more accessible to Europeans only six hundred years later. In those days, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg were worth their weight in gold. Many merchants, having made only one trip to the "island of spices", made a fortune, which was enough for many years.

The Dutch at the end of the 18th century, after the conquest of the Moluccas, sharply raised the price of it, which at that time was 90 shillings per pound (450 grams). They deliberately burned entire warehouses with spices so that the price would not fall.

This continued until a Frenchman named Pierre Poivre smuggled nutmeg seedlings to the island of Mauritius. Soon after that, the British brought seedlings to their colonies: India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the island of Grenada. The expansion of the plantations and growing region ended the Dutch monopoly on this and other spices.

You can harvest nuts all year round. As a rule, three crops are harvested per year. When ripe, the shell cracks, exposing the fruit with a red skin.

For food purposes, the skin and the inner edible part of the nut are used. The fruit is removed from near the fruit pulp, which is discarded. Then dried for several weeks to two months. After that, the shell is removed, which is sold as an independent spice called mace. Modern technologies can significantly reduce the time of drying and processing.

In cooking, nutmeg is used in powder form. In addition, an essential oil is obtained from it and other parts of the tree, which is highly valued in perfumery.

What is useful nutmeg chemical composition

In cooking, this spice is used in small quantities, but it can still provide some benefits to the human body. So, what is useful and what is contained in it chemical composition? And it contains many useful nutrients:

Vitamins: carotene, C, A, group B, including folic acid, niacin, pyridoxine, riboflavin, thiamine;

Minerals: magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium;

Essential oil;

Flavonoids;

Cellulose;

Carbohydrates;

The calorie content of 100 grams of nuts is 525 kcal. Fortunately, no one uses it in such quantities.

Plant chemical compounds present in the composition of the nut have antioxidant properties, which helps to eliminate toxins and promote health.

It contains trimyristin, myristicin, evenol, elemicin and other substances that give the spice a sweet aromatic taste.

The main constituents of the essential oil are sabinine, terpineol, linalool, pinene and other compounds that have medicinal properties.

Since ancient times, nutmeg and its oil have been used in Chinese and Indian traditional medicines for diseases related to the nervous and digestive systems. Compounds in this spice, such as myristicin and elemicin, have calming and stimulating properties for the brain. Evengol is used as an anesthetic in dental practice, with toothache.

This spice is a good source of minerals and primarily copper, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc. Potassium is an essential component of cells and body fluids and helps control heart rate and blood pressure.

The human body uses manganese and copper as co-factors of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. Iron is essential for the production of red blood cells and acts as a cofactor in the production of the enzyme cytochrome oxidase.

Nutmeg beneficial properties

Useful properties of nutmeg people have always used for their own good. Its active ingredients have many therapeutic uses in many traditional medicines. In fact, since ancient times, nutmeg has been used as a remedy for various diseases or to improve overall health. Its main useful properties include:

Antifungal;

Antimicrobial;

Stimulants;

soothing;

Relaxing;

Anti-inflammatory.

Nutmeg is considered one of the powerful natural antidepressants. Here are some of the health benefits of this fragrant spice.

Improves brain activity. Already in ancient times, the Greeks and Romans used it as a brain tonic and to relieve fatigue and stress.

If you are anxious and depressed, you should regularly add this spice to your regular food. Nutmeg soothes, enhances concentration and promotes mental work. This spice is especially useful for students and schoolchildren during exams.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Disorders such as diarrhea, flatulence, stomach pain can be alleviated with nutmeg. In addition, the spice stimulates the appetite.

Removal of pain. Even ancient Chinese doctors prescribed nutritional supplements for stomach pains. The effect of spices is sedative, analgesic, especially for pain associated with arthritis, ulcers, joint and muscle pain. With the same diseases, walnut essential oil is used to massage sore spots.

From bad breath. The antibacterial properties of nutmeg help fight the problem of bad breath, which is a consequence of the activity of pathogenic microorganisms. Chewing on a small piece of a nut or brushing your gums with nutmeg helps kill germs.

Cleansing of the kidneys and liver. Timely cleansing of the body is an important factor health. Improper nutrition, poor ecology, stress, smoking, drugs, alcohol lead to the accumulation of toxins in the liver and kidneys. Nutmeg cleanses these organs well, removes toxins and toxins from them. The spice is very useful for liver diseases, stimulates the kidneys, dissolves kidney stones.

In cosmetology. Nutmeg is indispensable in cosmetology. It makes the skin smooth, healthy and can solve several problems at once.

Sleep problems. If you have difficulty falling asleep, drink a cup of milk with a pinch of nutmeg. This will help you fall asleep quickly with a sound healthy sleep.

For children who often cry at night for no apparent reason, walnut powder mixed with honey will help.

Nutmeg is an aphrodisiac. Red wine with the addition of a pinch of spice enhances sexual desire in women of any age.

Nutmeg benefits for the body

Regular use of nutmeg to prepare various dishes will improve their taste and benefit the body. Based on its composition and useful properties, it:

Helps with indigestion;

Normalizes digestion;

Eliminates bloating and flatulence;

Strengthens immunity;

Promotes liquefaction of sputum;

Relieves pain and pain syndrome;

Improves blood circulation;

Increases concentration;

Stimulates memory;

Restores and normalizes the menstrual cycle in women;

Restores potency in men;

Increases libido in women;

Helps to cope with insomnia;

Relieves stress and anxiety;

Stimulates the work of the cardiovascular system;

cleans up bad smell from mouth;

Relieves toothache.

It is believed that regular massage of the abdomen with nutmeg oil three weeks before childbirth facilitates the process of childbirth.

For sciatica, heat sesame oil with nutmeg powder in a saucepan until Brown. Cool to comfortable temperature and apply to the sore spot in the form of a compress or massage. Such compresses also help with rheumatism.

Nutmeg powder (about 5-15 grams) mixed with apple juice or banana is used as a specific remedy for diarrhea caused by dyspepsia.

An essential oil diluted with a carrier oil is effective for local massage for joint pain, including rheumatic pain.

A decoction with honey is used to relieve nausea, gastritis and indigestion.

Possible harm and contraindications

An overdose of nutmeg can cause poisoning, which can be manifested by double vision, convulsions, loss of orientation.

Others side effects can be:

Dizziness;

Spasms in chest and stomach;

dry mouth;

Abdominal pain.

The use of spice in large doses can lead to hallucinations, convulsions and even death. Therefore, cooks and doctors are often asked about nutmeg: how much can be added to food? The answer is no more than three tablespoons a day.

For children, respectively, this rate should be even less. There are no restrictions for external use.

Special precautions to be taken:

How to choose and store nutmeg

In stores, you can buy both whole nutmeg and ground powder. Try to buy whole nuts instead of the powdered form, as they can often be adulterated by lower quality varieties of nutmeg.

Choose well-sealed packaging from reputable manufacturers and reputable retailers.

The packaging must have an expiration date. For spices, this is important, since all their aroma lies in essential oils, which disappear over time.

Store whole and powdered nutmeg in a tightly closed container in a cool and dark place.

storage nearby gas stove, batteries, heaters, as well as near water and in the sun destroy the taste and aroma of spices. Under proper conditions, it does not lose its taste and aroma for several months.

A whole nut retains its properties more long time. Therefore, it is better to buy in its entirety, and grind it immediately before use.

Nutmeg culinary use

Nutmeg is used in sweet and spicy dishes such as desserts, pies, custard, gingerbread, cookies, cheese sauces, soups, eggs, pasta, vegetables.

It is often used to give light-colored dishes a bright orange color reminiscent of saffron.

You can add it to baked meat, fish, apple pies, lasagna, mashed potatoes.

When heated, it can give a bitter taste, so season it with food at the very end of cooking.

Nutmeg is sold already peeled. It only needs to be grated on a special grater. If there is none, then a grater with small, frequent holes will do. You can grind in a blender or meat grinder. Freshly ground nuts are added in a smaller proportion than indicated in the recipe, as its aroma and taste are more pronounced.

Nutmeg for weight loss

The polyunsaturated fatty acids in nutmeg help speed up the metabolism and fat burning process. Possessing the ability to warm up the blood, the spice accelerates cellular metabolism. It is especially useful to add this spicy spice to high-calorie dishes with a high fat content. This helps to minimize the damage from such products.

In addition, nutmeg helps the stomach digest heavy foods faster. Nutritionists and doctors recommend adding it to salads, meat, poultry, fish. In sweet desserts high content sugar, honey, chocolate properties of nuts to burn fat, unfortunately, do not give such an effect.

ABOUT useful properties nutmeg is told in the program "Live healthy"

What is the danger of nutmeg in the program "About the most important thing"

Nutmegs are the fruit of the fragrant nutmeg, a dioecious tropical tree or shrub. Outwardly, the fruits resemble peaches, but are egg-shaped, the length of the fruit reaches seven centimeters. The dense peel of the orange-yellow fruit opens like a chestnut as it ripens, and inside is the very spicy dark brown seed that is so valued all over the world.

The nut itself is oval, small - up to three centimeters in diameter, on its top there is a small scar. Nutmeg has become widespread throughout the world due to its woody, spicy and sensual aroma, and many legends have been written about its benefits.

How nutmeg is harvested

In industry, both the seed itself and the red seedlings (pericarp), in which the nut is initially wrapped, are used. First, the seedling is carefully removed and completely dried. When all the moisture is gone, the seedling becomes slightly yellowish and very fragile, and also acquires a specific smell. Seedlings are sold under the name "Muscat color" or "Macis" (Macis), and whole dried seedlings are valued much more than broken ones.

The seed itself, initially covered with a peel, is dried in this form, after which the peel is removed and the nut is dipped in lime milk (insect treatment and prevention of germination). The result is a nut with a wrinkled surface with a thin layer of plaque in the grooves.

The chemical composition of nutmeg

This little spice is not as simple as it seems, and contains:

• protein;
• essential oil;
• fatty nutmeg oil (up to 40% of the total mass);
• starch;
• calcium;
• potassium;
• sodium;
• magnesium;
• fluorine;
• sulfur;
• phosphorus;
• vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, E, H, and PP.

How to use nutmeg in cooking

Both walnut and mace have long been used in cooking as an invariable spice, to give the dish a spicy flavor. In the composition of a huge number of spice mixtures, you can find ground nutmeg, it can be considered a unique spice.

Almost all sausages, fried and baked chicken dishes, marinated and smoked fish and a number of sauces (bechamel, bolognese) - in combination with a bouquet of other seasonings, nutmeg reveals the taste of meat, poultry and fish to the maximum.

Muscat spice also aromatically complements dishes of mushrooms and onions, potatoes and different types cabbage. Nutmeg gives a special note to cakes, yeast and shortbread pastries, as well as cakes and puddings.

A pinch of ground nutmeg added at the end of coffee preparation will give a rich, sweet taste to the drink.

This spice is also very appropriate in mulled wines or freshly squeezed juices (especially vegetable ones).

If you are going to add nutmeg to a dish, pay attention to the restriction of the use of spices (for medical reasons) - in one serving of the dish there should not be more than 1 gram, and for sauces - 2 grams per 1 liter of liquid.

It is better to buy whole kernels of nutmeg and grate, crush or grind it directly into the dish at the last stage of its preparation (after half an hour of cooking, the aroma partially disappears or completely disappears). It is better to season several times, in small portions, so as not to overdo it.

What spice mixtures are “lost” without nutmeg:

• Indian garam masala;
• Siamese universal;
• French quatre epices;
• curry;
• Bolognese;
• frankfurt;
• Moroccan ras el hanout;
• Tunisian galat-dagga.

Both the spice itself and nutmeg oil are very popular.

What dishes do the peoples of the world add nutmeg to:

• Italians - in the sauces that form the basis of pizza and pasta;
• the Dutch - in meat, potato and cabbage dishes;
• the Swiss - in cheese fondue;
• Indonesians - always in jam.

Remember that you need to add this spice to almost ready or completely ready meal with minimal heat treatment.

The effect of nutmeg on the human body

If used in moderate doses, spice has a calming and analgesic effect, strengthens the immune system and improves memory, and also stimulates the digestive and circulatory systems.

Medicine has proven the strongest stimulating, stimulating and tonic effect of nutmeg and color on the human body.

Can nutmeg help you lose weight?

Indeed, nutmeg is used in diets. The body produces more insulin due to the uniform supply of vegetable acids into the blood. Digestion improves, the feeling of hunger may disappear.

However, the assertion that nutmeg can help you lose weight needs to be corrected. There is indeed some truth in this. Food with the addition of spices or essential oils is much easier to digest and absorb faster. There is no feeling of heaviness in the stomach after a heavy meal and the gastrointestinal tract normalizes. But, unfortunately, nutmeg does not have a fat-burning effect.

Contraindications for nutmeg

When used in large quantities, the narcotic substances contained in it cause palpitations, tachycardia, nausea and vomiting, impaired coordination, hallucinations, euphoria and, in especially severe cases, death.

You should not "dabble" with nutmeg and its essential oil for people with an unbalanced psyche, pregnant and lactating women, as well as patients with epilepsy.

Nutmeg is the core of the seed of the fruit of the nutmeg tree, which grows in tropical countries with a humid climate. When dried, it looks like an oval brown nut, in the context of which you can see a pattern of chaotic stripes of dark and light shades. An exotic walnut used since ancient times as medicine to strengthen the brain, in the VI century it also took root in European countries, but already as a fragrant spice, which was used to flavor dishes and alcoholic beverages. At the same time, it has long been known that nutmeg calms nervous system, increases appetite, treats insomnia, gastrointestinal diseases and sexual disorders. After all, it is a source of vitamins, minerals, trace elements and essential oils which makes the dish not only tasty, but also healthy.

Varieties of nutmeg

Two varieties of nutmeg are known - Indonesian and Grenada. Indonesian walnut has a bright orange color, a high concentration of essential oils, a deep rich sweet-spicy taste and aroma and, accordingly, a higher price. Indonesia leads the world in the production of this spice, and Indonesian chefs even use the pulp of the fruit of the nutmeg tree, which makes delicious jam.

Grenada nuts have been grown since the 18th century on the island of Grenada by the British. Nutmeg from Grenada is different yellow peel, mild flavor and more affordable price.

Culinary uses of nutmeg

Most often, nutmeg is used in the preparation of sweet dishes - desserts, cocktails and alcoholic beverages. This fragrant condiment is indispensable for flavoring curds, puddings, cakes, biscuits, pastries, muffins, pretzels, buns and sweets. Homemade jams, jams, marmalades and compotes with the addition of nutmeg are very tasty, which gives the classic homemade sweets an original taste and delicate aroma. There are meat, fish, mushroom and vegetable recipes dishes with nutmeg, and in oriental cuisine this spice is often added to soups, salads, rice and sauces. Nutmeg is also used in Food Industry for cooking sausage products, smoked or pickled fish, tomato paste, ketchup, cheese, mustard, for flavoring cocoa and chocolate.

Nutmeg pairs amazingly with pumpkin, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, leeks and spinach, with baked fruit and berry puree, it is often used to preserve mushrooms and vegetables. IN Italian cuisine pasta with bolognese sauce or bechamel sauce, which include nutmeg, is very popular, and in Central Asia nutmeg mixed with sugar is sprinkled on chopped fruit slices. This spice is also added to mulled wine, coffee, milk, whipped cream, chocolate drinks and ice cream. In European cooking, nutmeg is most often used in German, and English cuisine. The Italians add it to the fillings for tortellini and ravioli, and the inhabitants of Switzerland flavor cheese fondue with it. The spice helps the digestion of dairy products and facilitates the digestion of meat.

This seasoning is found in many spicy compositions, including Indian garam masala and curry, French quatre epices, Moroccan Ras el kanout and Tunisian qalat dagga. Nutmeg is in harmony with fennel, green cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and turmeric.

How to use nutmeg

Nutmeg can be bought whole or in powder, while the whole nut is crushed or rubbed on a special grater before use, which is available in the kitchen of many housewives. Nutmeg has a very bright and strong aroma, interrupting weaker odors, and in large quantities is harmful to health, so the recommended dose of spice use per serving is no more than 0.1 g.

Add nutmeg to the dish should be at the end of cooking, otherwise it becomes bitter. If it is used for baking, it is recommended to introduce it into the dough during the kneading process. Grated fresh nutmeg is used immediately, as it loses its unique flavor very quickly.

Previously, the use of nutmeg as a seasoning for dishes was available only to high-ranking persons, so nutmeg was called royal bean. Now every kitchen can see this spice, and homemade apple and cherry pies without the flavor of nutmeg seem a little bland. If your family members get into the habit of drinking warm milk with honey, nutmeg, cardamom and saffron before bed, they will forget about insomnia and gloomy mood in the morning!

Editor's Choice: Nutmeg Dishes

Nutmeg- this is the edible part of the nutmeg tree, which in its appearance resembles an apricot. The tree itself grows for a century, but actively bears fruit in the first 40 years of its flowering. In a year, there are more than 10,000 fruits that a tree can produce. When fully ripe, the fruit falls to the ground and splits into two parts.. The taste of this fruit is very piquant and burning, and also has a delicate and unusual aroma.

The best place to grow nutmeg was the island of Grenada. In 1796, records were broken for cultivation on the island, and since then, the inhabitants, feeling proud of their island, call it "Muscat". Nutmeg has become a national treasure and has been featured twice on the island's flag.

In ancient times, the bone part of the nuts was used as a talisman or amulet. It was believed that he would help protect himself from the tricks of the devil and serious illnesses.For nuts, special containers were made to carry with you. It was a miniature grater to make it easier to spice the dish. Fashionistas of those times made special walnut jewelry. And traders in the markets, taking advantage of unknown people, sold them figurines of a walnut carved from wood.

Selection and storage

There is nothing difficult in choosing a nutmeg powder. The main thing is that the packaging is airtight, and the powder is dry and crumbly.

Spice after opening the package should be used as soon as possible in order to avoid loss of its taste and aromatic qualities.

Application in cooking

The use of nutmeg powder in cooking is not the last place in classical cuisine. On the shelves you can see two types of nutmeg, in the form of powder and flakes. In large-scale production, this spice is widely used in the manufacture of confectionery, meat and drinks. Muscat "color" is added to milk sauces, such as alfredo, and is widely used in the preparation of meat, fish dishes, and seafood. It is worth trying to add to dishes with cottage cheese, dessert cakes, and casseroles. For a perfect end to dinner, sprinkle a handful of the powder with a little sugar over the chilled lemon wedges. Alcoholic drinks, when adding a pinch of nutmeg, will have a complete taste.

Seasoning must be added at the end of cooking, otherwise you will get a slightly bitter taste as a result. If you are preparing dough for baking, you need to add seasoning in the middle of the process so that the dough is saturated with aroma. The amount of nutmeg or nutmeg should be no more than 0.1 grams per serving.

In order to grind nutmeg to a powder, you must first grind the nut with a knife into pieces smaller than a pea, and put it in a pepper mill. In the absence of a knife at hand, you can simply wrap the nuts in a cloth and chop with a hammer.

Beneficial features

Nutmeg powder has an unlimited number of useful properties. Due to the fact that the composition of this spice includes many useful macro- and microelements, as well as vitamins. More details can be seen in the table below.

Useful properties in everyday life

The crushed fruit is a great helper in the household. It is excellent at repelling bugs. It is worth placing it in the kitchen cabinet where the cereal is located, and you can forget about them for a long time. In order to prevent your clothes from being spoiled by moths, you need to put a couple of nutmegs in your closet with things.

One of the unusual uses of the powder is its ability to hide the unwanted smell of alcohol, which is often popular among men. Regardless of the amount drunk, the effect of nutmeg powder will be noticeable within 10-15 minutes. To do this, you need to use 1-2 roasted nuts, or 5-10 grams of powder.

Application in cosmetics

Its use in cosmetics has been known since ancient times. Girls in ancient times, having learned the properties of the aroma of spices, tried with its help to attract the attention of men, and they succeeded. Now essential oils are made from nutmeg, which, like powder, are very useful for dry and damaged hair. Ground nut strengthens, regenerates the growth zone of the hair, helps to stop hair loss. To do this, you will need to prepare a tincture, which includes ½ cup of nutmeg, 0.5 ml of water. All this mixture must be boiled for 10-15 minutes, and then allowed to cool and strain. Distribute the resulting tincture over wet hair, cover with a hat, and keep for 40 minutes.

Treatment with ground nutmeg

Treatment with ground nuts is becoming popular in many countries around the world. In Israel, there is a clinic in which, in addition to standard medicines, use products based on nutmeg.

Believe me, it is thanks to this spice that it will be possible to forget about your ailments. The following table clearly shows which ones and how to deal with them.

The taste of nutmeg warms and calms the nervous system, and even shivering from the cold, leads to a normal emotional state, improves memory, and cheers up.

Harm of nutmeg for health and possible contraindications to its use

The harm of nutmeg powder lies in the fact that the composition contains a certain amount of components that can cause hallucinations, or even lead to heart attack. Eaten 3-4 seeds or 15-20 grams of powder can lead to disastrous consequences, at best to severe poisoning.

Abuse may cause symptoms such as:

• confused speech;
• intoxication;
• hallucinations;
• rapid heartbeat
• pain in the abdomen.

If you have at least one of the above symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Nutmeg is contraindicated for people with epilepsy, and individuals who are allergic to the components contained in the powder.

It is better for pregnant girls to completely exclude nutmeg from their diet, even in the form of a powder, while carrying a baby. The reason for this is the component that is part of the product. It causes a rush in the blood to the organs. Therefore, its use can harm you and your baby.

Western countries consider nutmeg spice only as a seasoning. But in China, it is treated in a special way. After all, they consider seasoning a drug that is stronger than marijuana in action. A specific dose has not yet been established. Two types of essential oils, isosafrole and myristicin, which are part of nutmeg, became the parent of several more types of drugs.

Nutmeg is known to many as a spice that is sold as a powder in sachets in any supermarket. But what exactly is this seasoning? The fruits of the nutmeg tree inside have a small bone, the core of which is called nutmeg. Outwardly, it resembles a grain of a brownish hue with characteristic wrinkles. The spice is obtained by grinding the dried core of the drupe of the fruit of the nutmeg tree. What is this spice, nutmeg, how is it used in cooking? In what dishes is it customary to add this spice? In what quantity? What products does it pair best with? All about this for readers of "Popular about health" below.

A little history about aromatic seasoning

The nutmeg tree grows in Indonesia, in some regions of South America, as well as on the islands of Borneo, Java and Sumatra. In ancient times, its fruits were used as a medicine, attributing to them, as it turned out, not without reason, miraculous properties. Already in the 6th century AD, exotic fruits became interested in Europe. Europeans began to use nutmeg as a spice, adding it to various dishes. Today, this spice is seasoned with pastries, sausages and meat products, sauces and alcoholic drinks. This spice has a rich and deep sweet taste and smell, which makes dishes tastier and more aromatic.

Nutmeg in cooking

Nutmeg is a spice that is added to sweet pastries- cookies, muffins and gingerbread. This spice goes well with cottage cheese products - puddings and casseroles, various desserts. Often, the spice is also used in the production of sweets; for flavoring chocolate and cocoa, it fits perfectly. Experienced housewives know how tasty homemade sweet preparations from berries and fruits become - jams, marmalade and preserves, if you add a little nutmeg powder to them. In the alcohol industry, this spice is also not bypassed - expensive drinks are flavored with it. Nutmeg is an essential component in the manufacture of various types of sausages and meat products; it is often seasoned with fish dishes, for example, when marinating.

This seasoning has won a special place in oriental cuisine, where it is even put in salads and boiled rice, as well as in various soups and sauces. It is known that in the East gourmets love to feast on fresh fruit, sprinkled with sugar, which is mixed with grated nutmeg. Europeans are used to adding this fragrant and healthy spice to ravioli fillings and flavoring cheese snacks and dishes with it. And this is very reasonable, because the drupe of an exotic fruit contains substances that help to digest meat faster and assimilate dairy products.

It is not for nothing that in some countries the spice is put in small quantities in whipped cream and milkshakes, and ice cream is also seasoned. It will perfectly complement the taste of some vegetables - carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins, spinach, and will make fruit puree more appetizing. If you want to use several spices at once in cooking, then nutmeg goes well with cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, cloves, turmeric and ginger.

What is useful nutmeg?

This spice is good not only because it gives food and dishes a pleasant aftertaste and aroma. It carries a lot of health benefits. Nutmeg stimulates appetite, helps with digestive problems, facilitates the digestion of meat and the absorption of certain foods. This spice has a beneficial effect on brain function - improves concentration and memory. It also acts as an analgesic.

Known and antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of exotic spices - it helps to get rid of gum disease, eliminates bad breath. If you are having trouble sleeping, nutmeg will be a good helper - in small doses, it helps to relax and acts as a sedative and light sleep aid. If you regularly use this spice during cooking, your body will naturally cleanse itself of toxic substances.

The use of nutmeg in folk medicine

Traditional healers recommend this spice to those who suffer from flatulence and diarrhea. With dysentery and other intestinal infections, the spice becomes one of the the best antiseptics digestive tract. In folk medicine, it is considered a good remedy from early ejaculation; and from urinary incontinence in the elderly. It is also used for pain in the joints and lower back. However, you should know that this spice does not tolerate uncontrolled use - it is added to dishes in very small doses. It is better for pregnant women and children under 6 years of age not to get involved in this spice.

Nutmeg is not just a fragrant seasoning, it is a gift of nature that helps to enjoy food, as well as improve health. If you regularly use this spice powder while baking, casseroles, meat dishes and sauces, then you will not have to complain about poor digestion and pain in the intestines. Due to the property of this supplement to remove toxins, the skin will be cleansed and a healthy glow will appear. However, do not overdo it - this seasoning is good in moderation.