What you think you know may not be so! Amaze your friends with these fun facts.

Random Did You Know Facts

Share/Bookmark
Share/Bookmark

Oct 15, 2008

Nutmeg a Poison?


Did you know...
Contrary to it's name NUTmeg, is not a nut but a seed or pit of the fruit of the Nutmeg tree.
The Nutmeg tree produces two spices — mace and nutmeg.
Nutmeg is the seed kernel inside the fruit and mace is the lacy covering (aril) on the kernel.
Pierre Poivre (Peter Piper) smuggled nutmeg seeds and clove seedlings to start a plantation on the island of Mauritius, located off the east coast of Africa, near Madagascar. In 1796 the British took over the Moloccas and spread the cultivation to other East Indian islands and then to the Caribbean. Grenada now calls itself the Nutmeg Island because the use of the nutmeg was so successful. They even designed their flag in the green, yellow and red colours of nutmeg and included a graphic image of nutmeg in one corner of the flag. Even though it is a spice it does have medicinal uses. When used in small dosages nutmeg can reduce flatulence, aid in digestion, improve the appetite and treat diarrhea, vomiting and nausea as well as relieving the aches and pain of headaches and arthritis.
It is used as an everday spice for cooking, mostly in pies, cookies, cakes or puddings. In soups it works with tomatoes, slit pea, chicken or black beans. It complements egg dishes and vegetables like cabbage, spinach, broccoli, beans onions and eggplant. It flavours Italian mortadella sausages, Scottish haggis and Middle Eastern lamb dishes. And don't forget it's tasty use in eggnog and numerous mulled wines and punches, what would they be without this spice??? BUT It can be extremely poisonous if injected interavenously.
Wonder if you can overdose on this tasty seed just by eating too much??
Dear reader, what do you think?

1 comment:

AznJay said...

I hear anymore than 5-6 nuts in 24 is dangerous.