🇸🇦 Arabicar
جوز الطيب
Jawz al-tib
Banda Islands, Indonesia
Banda Nutmeg
Myristica fragrans
Latin name
yields both nutmeg and mace
Banda Islands
origin archipelago
10 volcanic islands, Maluku, Indonesia
7
years to first fruit
trees productive for 70+ years after
2
spices per fruit
the nut inside + the red aril (mace)
Visual atlas
Profile
Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from the seed, of several tree species of the genus Myristica; fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, and mace, from the seed covering. It is also a commercial source of nutmeg essential oil and nutmeg butter. The Banda Islands, in Maluku, Indonesia, are the main producer of nutmeg and mace, and the true nutmeg tree is native to the islands.
The Banda Islands — ten small volcanic specks in Indonesia's Maluku archipelago — were the only source of nutmeg in the world until the 1800s. The species, Myristica fragrans, grows on evergreen trees whose apricot-like fruit splits open to reveal a seed wrapped in a crimson aril (mace). The seed is dried for weeks until the kernel rattles inside the shell, then cracked and graded by size. Banda nutmegs are prized for their high essential-oil content and creamy, almost buttery aromatic profile. They go into béchamel, spinach gratin, Italian tortellini, Dutch stamppot, and the Moroccan ras el hanout blend.
Process
01Year 1–7
The young tree waits
Myristica fragrans is planted on Banda's volcanic soil. No fruit for 7 years — growers inter-plant cloves to survive financially during this period.
02Continuous
Year-round harvest
Unlike most spices, nutmeg fruits in two main flushes but year-round. Ripe fruits split open naturally, revealing the scarlet mace-wrapped nut.
03Day 1
Separation
The flesh is discarded for local jams. The scarlet mace aril is peeled from the nut by hand and dried separately — it will become mace.
04Days 2–8
Shell drying
Nuts dry in their hard shell for 6–8 weeks in Banda's sun. The kernel shrinks and rattles inside — the rattle test confirms readiness.
05Your kitchen
Grate fresh, never buy ground
Whole nutmegs keep 4 years. Grate directly onto food — 5–6 passes on a Microplane is enough for most recipes. Never buy pre-ground.
Inside the berry
The molecules that make it taste like Kampot — and not like anything else.
Banda nutmeg is the historical reference. Its essential oil (8–15%) is built around myristicin — an alkenylbenzene psychoactive in extreme doses, but a defining warm-sweet note in normal cooking.
12%
Essential oil
average, Banda kernels
2.5%
Myristicin
of dry weight
0.4%
Safrole
regulated trace
9 mo
From flower to nut
fruit ripens slowly
Volatile compound profile
- Sabinene21.4%
Peppery-pine — the largest single terpene, gives the green lift.
- α-pinene18.2%
Pine, resin — the fresh shoulder of the nutmeg nose.
- β-pinene13.5%
Dry pine — supports the resin column.
- Myristicin8.6%
Warm, sweet, slightly medicinal — the signature nutmeg note.
- Limonene5.4%
Bright citrus — top freshness.
- Terpinen-4-ol4.8%
Spicy, woody — adds depth.
- Elemicin2.3%
Aromatic-floral — softens myristicin's edge.
Versus other peppers
| Pepper | Piperine | Oil |
|---|---|---|
★ Banda (Indonesia) Maluku · the historical reference, highest oil | 8.6% | 12% |
Grenada Caribbean · slightly fresher, lower myristicin | 7.4% | 10% |
Sri Lankan Matale · less dense, brighter top | 6.8% | 9% |
Indian (Kerala) Western Ghats · smaller kernel | 6.1% | 8% |
Papuan M. argentea · related species, milder | 5.8% | 7.5% |
Cuisines
How the world cooks with it.
2 signature dishes
The Dutch built an empire on this nut — and brought it home into every béchamel, stew and stamppot.
- Stamppotgrade: whole
Mashed potato with kale or sauerkraut — a fresh grating of nutmeg is non-negotiable.
- Bitterballengrade: whole
Crisp veal-ragout croquettes — nutmeg in the roux is the giveaway.
Around the world
What it's called, from Phnom Penh to Palermo.
🇧🇩 Bengalibn
জায়ফল
Jayphal
🇨🇳 Chinesezh
肉豆蔻
Ròu dòukòu
🇳🇱 Dutchnl
Nootmuskaat
🇬🇧 Englishen
Nutmeg
🇫🇷 Frenchfr
Noix de muscade
🇩🇪 Germande
Muskatnuss
🇮🇱 Hebrewhe
אגוז מוסקט
Egoz muskat
🇮🇳 Hindihi
जायफल
Jaiphal
🇮🇩 Indonesianid
Pala
🇮🇹 Italianit
Noce moscata
🇯🇵 Japaneseja
ナツメグ
Natsumegu
🇰🇷 Koreanko
육두구
Yukdugu
🇲🇾 Malayms
Buah pala
MLml
ജാതിക്ക
Jathikka
🇮🇷 Persianfa
جوز هندی
Jowz-e hendi
🇵🇱 Polishpl
Gałka muszkatołowa
🇵🇹 Portuguesept
Noz-moscada
🇷🇺 Russianru
Мускатный орех
Muskatnyy orekh
SIsi
සාදික්කා
Sadikka
🇪🇸 Spanishes
Nuez moscada
SWsw
Kungumanga
🇸🇪 Swedishsv
Muskotnöt
🇮🇳 Tamilta
ஜாதிக்காய்
Jathikkai
🇹🇭 Thaith
จันทน์เทศ
Chan thet
🇹🇷 Turkishtr
Hindistan cevizi
🇵🇰 Urduur
جائفل
Jaiphal
🇻🇳 Vietnamesevi
Nhục đậu khấu
Pairings
Protein
- Seared scallops
- Bisque de homard
Plant
- Béchamel / gratin
Sweet
- Eggnog custard
- Spiced hot chocolate
Drink
- Warm spiced cider
Substitutes
- Mace90% match· soon
- Cassia Cinnamon38% match· soon
- Ginger30% match· soon
Frequent questions
The Banda Islands in Maluku, Indonesia were the world's only source of nutmeg until the Dutch VOC broke the monopoly in the 17th century. The volcanic soil of islands like Banda Neira and Run gives the nut a richness — higher myristicin content — that Indonesian nutmeg from Sulawesi or Grenada-grown nuts don't fully replicate.