The sweet, earthy, piney flavor of nutmeg is called for in both sweet and savory dishes in cuisines worldwide. This fragrant ground nutmeg can be added to cream sauces, squash or root vegetable dishes, stewed greens, fruit pies, or as a fragrant garnish for hot beverages.

Nutmegs are the seed of the fruit from Myristica fragrans, a tropical evergreen tree, which also produces mace. It’s used in sweet baking, especially pumpkin pie and spice cakes, as well as being a common ingredient in Northern European sausage and stew recipes. In the South, a pinch of nutmeg is crucial to macaroni and cheese and stewed greens. Indonesian and Japanese curries frequently use nutmeg for a subtle sweetness, and Caribbean cooking adds nutmeg to greens, oxtail stew, and as a garnish for several rum-based drinks.