Mace may not be the most well-known spice in Dutch cuisine, but there's a good chance you've tasted it before. This warm, refined spice adds flavor to mashed potatoes, creamy sauces, soups and classic baked recipes like speculaas. Yet many people don't know exactly what mace is and how it differs from nutmeg.
In this blog you'll discover where mace comes from, how it tastes, what it's used for and why it deserves a permanent place in your spice cabinet.
What is mace?
Mace is the bright red aril that grows around the nutmeg. Both come from the same fruit of the nutmeg tree (Myristica fragrans), which originally comes from Indonesia.
When the fruit is ripe, it splits open. Inside is the familiar nutmeg, surrounded by a thin, lacy red covering. That covering is carefully removed, dried and during drying it takes on its characteristic yellow-orange color. This is the spice we know as mace.
Although mace and nutmeg come from the same fruit, they differ clearly in taste and use.