The Nonya cooking ingredient Buah Pala or Nutmeg is a spice, native to
the Spice Islands, that is used to add a sweet and savory flavor to a variety of
foods. It is made from the seed inside the hard pit of the peach-like fruit
grown on the nutmeg tree.
The yellow colored fruit is edible and when split open, exposes a net-like
casing that covers the nutmeg pit. The casing around the pit, referred to as
mace, is also harvested, dried and used as a spice. When first removed from the
nutmeg seed, this mesh casing or membrane (aril) is oval shaped and somewhat
brittle. It is flattened, dried and sold as mace blades or ground mace.
Buah Pala or Nutmeg , mace has a sweet and flavorful spice, which can be substituted for
nutmeg or cinnamon to complement a variety of foods. Food manufacturers use mace
to flavor hot dogs and donuts. It is used for infusions when preparing sauces or
flavored milk and as a complement to fish, meat, and other dishes. Ground Buah Pala
or Nutmeg
is available prepackaged, but fresh whole nutmeg, that is grated, provides more
flavor than the prepackaged variety.
When grating a whole Buah Pala or Nutmeg , the best tool to use is a special nutmeg grater or
grinder. Nutmeg is most often used with sweet or spicy dishes such as pies,
custards, puddings, cookies, cakes, and beverages such as milk or egg-based
beverages, mulled wine, and punch. And, it adds a nice flavor to souffl?,
vegetables, egg dishes, sausages, lamb, and fish
Buah Pala or Nutmeg - Nonya Cooking Ingredient
