No more than a teaspoon: what dishes are nutmeg added to and why is it dangerous?

Cooks add nutmeg to many dishes. Spicy fruits give not only a special taste, but also a unique aroma to various dishes. They are added in small quantities, having previously been grated or using a product already crushed by the manufacturer.

Excess spice can hopelessly spoil cooked food and harm the body.

Nutmeg - benefits and harms

Nutmeg is the fruit of a small evergreen tree (nutmeg), which is native to the Indonesian Islands. The spice can be easily found on store shelves among other spices in ground and powdered form. Whole nutmeg fruits are also available for sale.

The spice is used only as an additive. Despite its name, nutmeg is a spice. It has a bitter, tart flavor and a firm texture.

When an excess amount of spice enters the body, a person has a toxic effect, which manifests itself in the form of:

• accelerated heartbeat;
• dizziness;
• headache;
• the appearance of anxiety;
• dry mouth;
• blurred vision;
• skin redness;
• nausea;
• hallucinations.

Therefore, it is customary to add no more than 1 tsp to a dish. spices.

With moderate and regular use, the seasoning promotes:

• strengthening the heart muscle;
• reducing bad cholesterol;
• reducing the risk of blood clots;
• improving digestion;
• normalization of sleep;
• activation of brain function;
• relieving pain and inflammation.

As a remedy, it is not necessary to use nutmeg as a food additive. You can dissolve a pinch of spice in milk and drink the resulting drink before bed. Nutmeg oil also has a healing effect.

What dishes do you add spice to?

Ground nutmeg can be added when preparing various meat dishes. It goes well with beef, lamb, and pork. The spice is used when baking stuffed duck and added to liver pate. Fish dishes are often enriched with the taste of nutmeg fruits. In addition, the spice is used in cooking to prepare:

• drinks (including alcohol-containing ones);
• potato and cabbage salads;
• ketchups, spicy sauces;
• homemade sausage;
• puree soups;
• marinades;
• casseroles;
• baking;
• desserts.

The grated fruit cannot be stored; it must be used immediately, otherwise the unique aroma of the spice will be lost. When cooking, the spice is added at the very end, otherwise the dish will acquire some bitterness.

How much nutmeg should you add to sausage?

When preparing homemade sausage, cooks always add a set of spices to it to give it an attractive taste and aroma. The spice mixture includes:

• nutmeg;
• pepper mixture;
• Bay leaf;
• cardamom;
• coriander;
• carnation;
• caraway.

Each of these spices is responsible for giving sausages certain flavor shades. The composition of the spicy mixture can be more concise, it all depends on the chosen recipe.

Using nutmeg fruits allows you to get a rich, sweetish tint.You need to add spice to the sausage based on the total weight of the raw materials. For 2 kg of meat and bacon, use 5 g (1 tsp) of nutmeg.

What can you replace nutmeg in a dish with?

Sometimes the spice runs out at the most inopportune moment. The housewife urgently needs to prepare a dish, but there is no time to visit the store. In this case, you have to look for a replacement for nutmeg among other seasonings.

The unique taste of this spice is inimitable. Analogues can only vaguely resemble the taste notes of nutmeg fruits. The following spices can be used as a substitute:

• Macis - the most suitable spice, which is directly related to fragrant nutmeg. This seasoning represents the color of nutmeg. Macis has a more pronounced and pungent taste, so it is used in smaller quantities compared to the nut.
• Saffron – an exquisite and expensive spice that gives dishes an attractive appearance, taste and aroma. Used in very small quantities. It colors food in yellowish tones, which must be taken into account.
• Garam masala. If you have this spicy mixture in your house, consisting of allspice, mace, cinnamon and cumin, it can be used instead of nutmeg, but you need to take into account that the seasoning is suitable for a limited set of dishes (meat, poultry).
• Cinnamon. You can replace nutmeg with this spice in baked goods and various sweets. Warm woody tones will also resemble the taste of oriental dishes.
• Ginger. Another spice that can replace nutmeg in some vegetable and fruit dishes.
• Carnation. The spice gives dishes a peppery, sweet and spicy aroma. Cloves go well with nutmeg and can be used as a substitute.
• Anise. The seeds have a strong specific aroma and spicy taste. Can be used in sauces, marinades, drinks, baked goods.
• Caraway – a spice endowed with a bright aroma. Can be used instead of nutmeg in fish and meat dishes.
• Ginger. The root has a sharp spicy taste. Seasoning is added to fruit and vegetable ingredients (especially in oriental dishes).
• Cardamom. The spice tastes more like ginger. Cardamom can also successfully replace nutmeg in various dishes.

As a more simplified option, ground black peppercorns, bay leaves, dried onions and garlic can be used. Cinnamon and saffron are added to dishes with extreme caution; both spices are used in minimal quantities. You can always add a little more seasoning after testing first.

Nutmeg goes well with other spices, aromatic herbs and is used in preparing a variety of dishes. It is impossible to come up with a complete replacement for this spice, so it is better to always have it on hand. The seasoning requires precise dosage when used. Regular consumption of nutmeg fruits as part of food will not only make the taste of food richer, but also strengthen the body.