NutmegBy: Harika Parvathareddy

Sneha Cheturvedula

Divya Balakrishnan

Nutmeg in the Early Days Nutmeg was first seen in the trade system in

the 1st century CE. It was first mentioned in the writings of Pliny

who was a Roman writer. Nutmeg was introduced to the Middle

Eastern people by the Venetians.

Nutmeg in the Early Days Nutmeg traveled from the Middle East to the

European traders and they cashed it as much as they could.

The Indians eventually found cures for fever and headaches, along with bad breath (this was long before gum!)

It was once thought to have cured the plague during the medieval ages.

The spice was highly ayurvedic in terms of its medicinal value

Nutmeg in the Early Days The Banda Islands were where the first ever nutmeg

was seen and that was an area in Indonesia. The Run Island was the specific island in which

nutmeg was of abundance. The Portuguese were the

next To obtain this spice and that was

through force!!!!

Nutmeg was produced in the Moluccas (Map of Spice Trade)

Nutmeg in the Early Days There was much value for nutmeg but

compared to the other spices at the time it was really highly rated and expensive because of it rarity.

A few hundred years ago, a small bag of nutmeg would have brought enough money for the holder to be financially independent for the rest of his life

Nutmeg in the Early Days There was much competition for who would

get the nutmeg; British, Dutch, and Portuguese.

Under the Portuguese, they took control of the spice trade because they could transport nutmeg far more cheaply.

During the Napoleonic Wars, England was able to seize the Run Island.

Cultural reference and influence The country of Grenada’s flag has the same colors as

the fruit Nutmeg was a symbol of status in the East and were

only served by their social rank Nutmeg is one of the most important fruit trees of

the Bible Nutmeg was used in Medieval Easter Feast The islands that mainly produce the spice

is a part of the Spice Islands

Cultural reference and influence Portuguese sailors bought nutmeg to Europe in 1512

which increased their economy The Chinese and Indians discovered medicinal

purposes for it Magellan’s personal documents

showed his desire trying to find the golden islands

Roman priests were believed to burn nutmeg as incense

The Roman writer Pliny speaks about “trees that bear nuts with two different flavors” in his writings

Roman writer pliny

Methods of Obtaining Nutmeg The nutmeg comes from a tree, and when ripe, the nutmeg is

picked off from it to be used. The nutmeg fruit is matured so that it produces a seed. The fruit part is candied or pickled in many parts of Asia. The seed is covered in red membranes, which is called aril.

This is the mace part of nutmeg. The nut is dried up for two months, or until the inner nut in

the shell rattles. Nuts which are not of great quality are pressed for oil, which

is used in perfumes and food.

Grenada’s income NATIONAL GNP

Grenada supply’s one third of the world’s nutmeg

Economy and Government during 3000B.C.E.-1299C.E. Kerala’s economy is based on agriculture, nutmeg

was an important spice to be considered during that time,

It was a major spice trade from the beginning due to the help of Ashoka the great

The Mali empire had grown very big during this time period,

It soon took control of the trade rout along the 1200 mile rout, which made it wealthy

The Ottoman empire was directly involved in the spice trade to increase their revenue

Nutmeg in the 1300s-1700s Nutmeg was a copartner in crime during that

time because of the VOC monopoly that had risen through the want for the spice trade.

They did not allow for anyone to be able to have nutmeg seedlings and that caused a ruckus.

The nutmeg was stolen by the French and that was the end of the attempts of VOC.

Nutmeg’s Role in the Economy and Government- 1701 -present In 1760, the price of nutmeg in London was 85 to 90 shillings per pound. The Dutch kept this price unnaturally high by burning full warehouses of

nutmeg in Amsterdam. The Dutch held control of the spice islands until WW II. Frenchman Pierre Poivre transported nutmeg seedlings to Mauritius

where they flourished, aiding in ending the Dutch monopoly of the spice. The British East India Company brought the nutmeg tree to Penang,

Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and most notably Grenada, where it is the national symbol and proudly emblazoned on the country's red, yellow, and green flag.

Nutmeg is still in use today in many dishes of countries all around the world; mainly in the very traditional items.

Some items that have nutmeg in them are eggnog, garam masala spice from India, and pumpkin and apple pie.

Nutmeg Today Present day traders of nutmeg are India,

Malaysia, various Caribbean islands, New Guinea, and Sri Lanka.

Nutmeg is somewhat more affordable because there are so many sources of it and not just one island. Buts till, comparatively, it is expensive.

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2010. <http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:2p5jlq6QT->.

"The History of Nutmeg." InDepthInfo: Information Delivered In-Depth. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://www.indepthinfo.com/nutmeg/history.shtml>.

"Nutmeg Spice History." Google. Web. 15 Dec. 2010. <http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:u8TXKeIE-UsJ:www.buzzle.com/articles/nutmeg-spice-history.html works of roman writer pliny about nutmeg&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us>.

Work Cited "Nutmeg and Mace History - The History of Nutmeg Spice." Recipes - Home

Cooking Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Help for the Home Cook. Web. 9 Dec. 2010. <http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/nutmeghistory.htm>.

"Nutmeg." The Epicentre Exotic Herbs and Spices. Web. 9 Dec. 2010. <http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/nutmeg.html>.

Post, By. Thepassionatecook. Web. 15 Dec. 2010. <http://thepassionatecook.typepad.com/thepassionatecook/2007/08/index.html>.

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Contributions Sneha: part A and D (middle) ,pictures, maps

and Nutmeg today Harika: part B and D (beginning), graph,

pictures, MLA formating, power point design Divya: part C and D (End) and picture