In 1771, Pierrre Poivre who was administrator Intendant of Isle de France, now Mauritius, sent Antoine Gillot to Seychelles to establish a spice garden. Gillot worked on at Anse Royale, on Mahé Island, establishing nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon and pepper plants.
Unfortunately in 1780, the spice gardens were partly burnt down when Lieutenant Romainville set fire to the plantations after he saw an approaching ship and mistakenly believed that the British were about to invade Mahé. At that time, war was being waged against England and to prevent the plantations from falling into English hands, the plantation was surrounded by flammable materials ready to be fired at any time and the plan worked! The vessel turned out to be a French slaver flying the English flag colours because she feared that the islands were already occupied by the English.
Some of the clove trees must have escaped destruction because there are a few nutmeg trees scattered around most of the granitic islands, including some in the Seychelles Botanical Garden in Victoria. Unfortunately, nutmeg never got planted on a commercial basis.
Nutmeg Fruit
The fruit is similar in appearance to a small apricot and has a single seed. When fully mature it splits in two, exposing a crimson-coloured aril, the mace, surrounding a single shiny brown seed, the nutmeg. After collection the aril-enveloped nutmegs are conveyed to curing areas where the mace is carefully peeled off, flattened into strips, and dried before being sold either whole or finely ground. Mace is as valuable a spice as the nutmeg seed itself and has a flavour described as a combination of cinnamon and pepper and is more pungent that the nutmeg seed. Both mace and nutmeg can be substituted for each other.
Nutmeg and Mace
In a commercial environment the nutmegs are dried in a dryer but on smaller plantations they are gradually dried in the sun and turned twice daily over a period of six to eight weeks. During this time the nutmeg shrinks away from its hard seed coat until the kernels rattle in their shells when shaken. The shell is then broken with a wooden truncheon and the nutmegs are picked out. Dried nutmegs are grayish brown ovals with furrowed surfaces.
Storing and use
As a culinary spice, nutmeg is pungent and sweet and a small amount goes a long way. Nutmeg is sold whole or in powdered form. The nutmeg seed keeps its flavour for a long time, up to about 4 years, if stored in a sealed jar away from the sun. Ground nutmeg on the other hand looses its flavour and aroma quicker and has to be stored in an airtight container away from heat, moisture and light. In Creole cuisine nutmeg is used to add flavour and aroma to sweet dishes like the daubes or ladob or coconut nougat.
As a medicinal spice, nutmeg has to be used with care because when consumed in large amounts, nutmeg has psychoactive effects and is reported to be a deliriant and hallucinogen. In Seychelles nutmeg and mace are used for diarrhea, nausea, stomach spasms and pain, as well as for menstrual pains.
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