Getting To Know The Nutmeg, The Fruit That Made Banda Neira Becoming The World's Leading Spice Route

KABAR ALAM - The charm of Banda Neira is not only the beauty of its natural panorama and marine tourism, but also its flora or plants. The most popular and has popularized Banda Neira in the past is the nutmeg.

Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) is an endemic plant of the Banda Islands, Maluku. As spices with high value, fruit, mace (coated seeds), and nutmeg have been important trading commodities since Roman times. Banda nutmeg is also known as a catalyst for various histories in the archipelago and in the world.

Excerpted from the jalurrempah.kemendikbud.go.id page, in the 6th century AD, nutmeg spread to India, then to Constantinople, and became a myth in other parts of the world.

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Then in the 13th century, the Arabian traders have concluded correctly that the origin of the nutmeg spice is located in the eastern part of the Nusantara archipelago. However, they kept this location a secret from European traders until finally the Portuguese came to Southeast Asia.

Nutmeg is oval in shape like a lemon, yellow in color, fleshy and has a distinctive aroma because it contains essential oils in the flesh. When it is ripe, the skin and flesh of the fruit open, where you will see brown seeds wrapped in red mace.

Nutmeg is a plant that grows long enough to harvest. The first harvest is done seven to nine years after the tree is planted and reaches maximum production capacity after 25 years. Nutmeg trees can grow up to 20m and can reach hundreds of years of age.

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In Indonesian cuisine, nutmeg is used in various recipes, especially for soupy dishes such as some soto, konro, oxtail soup, rib soup, meatballs, and goat soup.

Nutmeg is also used in sauces for dishes originating from Europe such as beefsteak, stews, rolade, steak tongue, as well as the garnish in various types of cocktails.***