M AI N T OP I C
The Nutmeg Story of North Maluku When we talk about Ternate and also Tidore, there will be stories about nutmeg. Nutmeg, at first glance, looks like duku, but bigger. Young nutmeg is clad in greencoloured skin, and becomes yellowish when ripe, a beautiful colour that is pleasing to the eye. When peeled, the nutmegs are a little pale but looks mouth-watering to taste. However, don’t try to eat it right away. It is sour. Behind the sour taste, nutmeg hides a precious treasure. In fact, nutmeg was sought and hunted by European nations for centuries. Nutmeg is even considered to be one of the main markers of an important period in world history, the age of discoveries or centuries of discovery and exploration. Almost all parts of the nutmeg have economic value. The contents are processed into sweets or syrup and then marketed. The nutmeg is clad in a “flower” called mace which looks pretty and shiny, red when it’s ripe and when the fruit is split open. The mace or the flower that wraps around the seed, and is red, is the most expensive part. The nutmeg seed turns shiny black when dried in the sun. It is commonly found in Indonesia as a food ingredient. Nutmeg is also called black pearl.
Dong Ambe Tong pe Pala
10 INDONESIANA VOL. 9, 2020
