At one time it was
considered as the best of spices. Bloody wars have been fought over it,
particularly by the Dutch and the British. A person who had a few of these in
his possession was acknowledged as a rich man. It was an accepted ingredient in
cuisine from Penang to Europe. Some men
consumed it on the sly because of its reputation as an aphrodisiac.
That is nutmeg, Myristica
fragrans.
