NUTMEG and MACE

Map of Spice Routes from Maumere to Europe

A bas relief of an ancient Indonesian Outrigger transporting spices to Arabia

A Dutch trading ship off the Cape of Good Hope.

Map of the ancient spice MAUMERE'

trade routes.

Relief Sculpture of 1st century BC. shows an Indonesian outrigger trading ship from the Buddhist temple Borobudur in Indonesia

Dutch Trading ship off the Cape of Good Hope

From Southeast Asia spices and other exotic goods have been traded to Europe since many millennia ago. First, by Indonesians in their boats traveling to the Middle East and Africa, then by Indian and Arab traders and by the late 15th century by European powers. First the Portuguese and then the Dutch came to Maumere', one of the furthest eastward destinations. So, the Sikka culture has ancient roots in global awareness.

Nutmeg and Mace are of the same fruit. Mace is a membrane that covers the nutmeg seed.

Nutmeg Tree growing on the Island Flores

We can find so many nutmeg farms is Flores. They are in Manggarai, Ende, Sikka and other regencies. The altitude of the farms of nutmeg is more than 700 masl. The harvest time starts from October until the first of January. The way of the harvest is the farmers will collect the fruit of nutmeg that has fallen down to land. After that they will break the nutmeg fruit with wooden mallets. Within the fruit there is a hard shell containing the nutmeg nut and and flower, which is mace. After drying, which takes 6 to 8 weeks this shell will crack open and the nutmeg will separate from the mace. Besides having a wonderful flavor we all know from Christmas, nutmeg is rich in nutrition and restorative powers.