Everything you need to know about Mace: Benefits, Uses and harvest season

Mace is a spice cultivated from the covering of the seeds obtained from the Myristica fragrans tree. The reddish or crimson-colored coating of the kernel, also known as an aril, gets processed to make and create the flavoring agent. It involves removing the covering and drying it for about 10 to 14 days, leading to a change in color to orange, pale yellow, or tan. 

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Applications of Mace as a Spice

Mace has almost the same sensory qualities of flavor and aroma as its sister spice, nutmeg. Nevertheless, each parameter is a bit more delicate in the case of the latter. Mace carries and proffers a sharper, more distinctive, and less sweet taste. One can say that it has subtle notes of coriander-like citric flavor along with touches of black pepper and pine.

Chefs primarily prefer to use mace in the lighter dishes where no one can label any element or aspect of the food as excess. These can include color, flavor, smell, texture, and so on. It proffers a bright orange color or a hue resembling the shade of saffron. The spice gets used widely worldwide as a flavor booster. It can be in baked goods, vegetables, fish, meat, and for pickling and preserving. 

In traditional gastronomy originating from Europe, mace finds application in potato dishes, English pork pie, rhubarb cakes, and the processed meat items and products. It also gets used in a variety of sauces, soups, and baked goods. A unique dish where it serves its purpose is rice pudding. It offers a feeble but profound effect on the food. 

In the cuisine of Scotland, mace makes for a suitable ingredient in haggis. In Indian dishes, it finds application in several chutney and curry recipes and in an item called lamb korma.

The spice can get used as a condiment to top over food items as well. It can include dusting or sprinkling the ground mace or the mace spice over hot drinks like cappuccino or cold foodstuffs like vanilla ice creams for an enhanced flavor and additional complexity for the taste buds. 

The application of mace in sweet cuisine includes food items like pumpkin pie, hot toddy, and berry cobblers. Two salty and spice varieties of gastronomy where it gets used comprise barbeque spice ribs and Swedish meatballs. 

Overall, mace works wonders when mixed and paired with other spices such as ginger, saffron, cumin, cinnamon, fennel, clove, coriander, and many more of the kind. It acts like an essence and flavor booster when added to other simple ingredients like carrots, apples, lamb, veal, mangoes, cream, pork, squash, and different types of cheese.

Benefits of Mace

Even in small quantities, mace provides a significant benefit in nutrition and overall health management. The spice contains a considerable amount of iron, calcium, magnesium, carotenoids, and copper for a consumable quantity of 100 grams or more. Additionally, it has Vitamin C and Vitamin A in substantial amounts. 

A few health benefits of mace include the following:

  • Digestive SystemMace provides relief from gastric issues like constipation and bloating, helping to acquire and maintain a healthy digestive system. It aids in regulating bowel movement and acts as a cure for nausea, flatulence, and diarrhea.
  • Appetite: With a perfect digestive system, there is nothing to hinder an individual’s desire and consumption of food. Mace also serves to boost hunger, allowing people to attain a robust and fit body.
  • Blood CirculationMace works wonders in enhancing and regulating the proper blood circulation in the body. Thus, it prevents people from developing conditions like diabetes.  
  • Dental Health: The spice helps maintain proper oral hygiene and serves as a natural remedy for aching gums and teeth. It also eradicates teeth and gum issues and bad breath. 
  • Kidney and Lung IssuesMace protects the kidneys by prevention kidney stone development and aiding in their efficient removal. It also helps significantly in the treatment of kidney infections. Additionally, mace gets used in the cure of cold, cough, and asthma. Overall, it deters the body from catching any viral diseases. 
  • Anti-inflammatory PropertiesThe mace spice has strong anti-oxidant properties that allow it to treat joint aches and other inflammatory ailments like lumbago and arthritis.
  • Traditional Medicine: Mace works as an ingredient in traditional medicine, offering anti-fungal and anti-depressant effects. 
  • Stress ReliefMace acts as a stress reliever by eliminating its causes like anxiety, depression, and tension. It diminishes mental exhaustion and helps one feel calm. It can also boost memory and increase attention span. 

Harvest Area and Season

Mace primarily gets harvested in the humid and warm conditions of Indonesia. 

Its harvest begins when the fruits of the mace trees become ripe and their pericarp tear open. It is achieved during June-August, making that period the perfect time to get the seed covering and make the spice. 

Mace is a spice cultivated from the covering of the seeds obtained from the Myristica fragrans tree. The reddish or crimson-colored coating of the kernel, also known as an aril, gets processed to make and create the flavoring agent. It involves removing the covering and drying it for about 10 to 14 days, leading to a change in color to orange, pale yellow, or tan. 

Applications of Mace as a Spice

Mace has almost the same sensory qualities of flavor and aroma as its sister spice, nutmeg. Nevertheless, each parameter is a bit more delicate in the case of the latter. Mace carries and proffers a sharper, more distinctive, and less sweet taste. One can say that it has subtle notes of coriander-like citric flavor along with touches of black pepper and pine.

Chefs primarily prefer to use mace in the lighter dishes where no one can label any element or aspect of the food as excess. These can include color, flavor, smell, texture, and so on. It proffers a bright orange color or a hue resembling the shade of saffron. The spice gets used widely worldwide as a flavor booster. It can be in baked goods, vegetables, fish, meat, and for pickling and preserving. 

In traditional gastronomy originating from Europe, mace finds application in potato dishes, English pork pie, rhubarb cakes, and the processed meat items and products. It also gets used in a variety of sauces, soups, and baked goods. A unique dish where it serves its purpose is rice pudding. It offers a feeble but profound effect on the food. 

In the cuisine of Scotland, mace makes for a suitable ingredient in haggis. In Indian dishes, it finds application in several chutney and curry recipes and in an item called lamb korma.

The spice can get used as a condiment to top over food items as well. It can include dusting or sprinkling the ground mace or the mace spice over hot drinks like cappuccino or cold foodstuffs like vanilla ice creams for an enhanced flavor and additional complexity for the taste buds. 

The application of mace in sweet cuisine includes food items like pumpkin pie, hot toddy, and berry cobblers. Two salty and spice varieties of gastronomy where it gets used comprise barbeque spice ribs and Swedish meatballs. 

Overall, mace works wonders when mixed and paired with other spices such as ginger, saffron, cumin, cinnamon, fennel, clove, coriander, and many more of the kind. It acts like an essence and flavor booster when added to other simple ingredients like carrots, apples, lamb, veal, mangoes, cream, pork, squash, and different types of cheese.

Benefits of Mace

Even in small quantities, mace provides a significant benefit in nutrition and overall health management. The spice contains a considerable amount of iron, calcium, magnesium, carotenoids, and copper for a consumable quantity of 100 grams or more. Additionally, it has Vitamin C and Vitamin A in substantial amounts. 

A few health benefits of mace include the following:

  • Digestive SystemMace provides relief from gastric issues like constipation and bloating, helping to acquire and maintain a healthy digestive system. It aids in regulating bowel movement and acts as a cure for nausea, flatulence, and diarrhea.
  • Appetite: With a perfect digestive system, there is nothing to hinder an individual’s desire and consumption of food. Mace also serves to boost hunger, allowing people to attain a robust and fit body.
  • Blood CirculationMace works wonders in enhancing and regulating the proper blood circulation in the body. Thus, it prevents people from developing conditions like diabetes.  
  • Dental Health: The spice helps maintain proper oral hygiene and serves as a natural remedy for aching gums and teeth. It also eradicates teeth and gum issues and bad breath. 
  • Kidney and Lung IssuesMace protects the kidneys by prevention kidney stone development and aiding in their efficient removal. It also helps significantly in the treatment of kidney infections. Additionally, mace gets used in the cure of cold, cough, and asthma. Overall, it deters the body from catching any viral diseases. 
  • Anti-inflammatory PropertiesThe mace spice has strong anti-oxidant properties that allow it to treat joint aches and other inflammatory ailments like lumbago and arthritis.
  • Traditional Medicine: Mace works as an ingredient in traditional medicine, offering anti-fungal and anti-depressant effects. 
  • Stress ReliefMace acts as a stress reliever by eliminating its causes like anxiety, depression, and tension. It diminishes mental exhaustion and helps one feel calm. It can also boost memory and increase attention span. 

Mace Harvest Area and Season

Mace primarily gets harvested in the humid and warm conditions of Indonesia. 

Its harvest begins when the fruits of the mace trees become ripe and their pericarp tear open. It is achieved during June-August, making that period the perfect time to get the seed covering and make the spice. 

Contact us for discussing supplying Nutmeg and Mace in bulk from here

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