What is a nutmegger?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
November 28, 2003
Suggested Reading—>Click here.
Assorted Killer Savings Garden Links—>Click here.
Cooking.com—>$10 off $75 shipments! Use coupon code C94832
Killer Picks: Nut Twister Nutmeg Mill, Is There A Nutmeg In The House?—>Click here.
Cinnamon Mill & Chocolate Mill, Waffle Iron, Espresso Maker, Coffee Grinder—>Click here.
Nutmeg is the kernel of the seed from the fruit of Myristica fragrans Houttuyn, a tree native to the Banda Islands (Moluccas). The hard kernel must be grated before use and, although it loses much of its rich warm fragrance and taste, nutmeg is usually sold grated in the U.S. Prior to containerized spices, nutmegs were expensive and sold whole to
preserve their aromatic oils.
In Medieval Latin, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the spice was called nux muscata, literally the musked or scented nut. The name, with a few linguistic changes, has stuck through the centuries. In Old French, it was muguette or noix de muscade; Italian, noce moscada; Spanish, nuez moscada; Portuguese, noz moscada; Dutch, noot muskaat; German, muskatnuss. Most European languages have cognates for the spice. By Middle English, the spice was called nutmuge, notemuge, nutmigge, or nutmegge--all apparently deriving from the French.
The -meg or "musk" part of the name can be traced to the Arabic and Turkish traders--mushk, misk, and musk--all names referring to the fragrance. Musk and misk are ancient words dating to the Persians. They in turn apparently took the word from the Hindi, mushk. The Hindi is thought derived from the Sanskrit, mushka, meaning testicle.
advertisement
|
|
|
"Unknowing buyers may have failed to grate nutmegs, thinking they had to be cracked like a walnut. Nutmegs are wood, and bounce when struck. If southern customers did not grate them, they may very well have accused the Yankees of selling useless "wooden" nutmegs, unaware that they wear down to a pungent powder to season pies and breads." Elizabeth Abbe, Librarian, the Connecticut Historical Society; Connecticut Magazine, April 1980.
Peddler Showing His Wares to a Farm Family, c.1800 Giclee Print
Buy Giclee Print at AllPosters.com
|
Musk came to mean the "odoriferous secretions of the male musk deer, Moschus moschiferus". (Compiled from: Century Unabridged Dictionary, 1889)
According to the Connecticut State Library, "Nutmegger" came to refer to residents of Connecticut, the Nutmeg State, but how the state received that nickname is unclear. A nutmegger may have been a peddler who sold nutmegs. It is difficult to imagine someone making a living off of a single product, perhaps the peddler sold spices. The alternative story is that nutmegger was a shrewd and ingenious con artist who whittled nutmegs from wood and peddled the fakes to gullible housewives. ("Connecticut's Nicknames", Connecticut State Library)
Suggested Reading:
What was early American pumpkin pie? Herbal Folklore - November 18, 2002
What was nutmeg worth? Plants that Changed History - November 25, 2003
What is a nutmeg? Weird Plants - November 27, 2003
What is a nutmegger? What's in a Name? - November 28, 2003
How was nutmeg taken medicinally? Herbal Folklore - December 1, 2003
Killer Savings Links:
Breck's Bulbs -$25 off—>Click here.
Gurney's Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Henry Fields Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Spring Hill Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Gardens Alive! -$20 off—>Click here.
Michigan Bulb -$20 off—>Click here.
Unique Professionally Designed Gardens
Springhill Nursery®
Spring Hill Nursery has unique gardens professionally designed by experts to take the guesswork out of gardening. Whether you are looking for a three season garden, foundation garden, or a garden to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, Spring Hill Nursery has created a step-by-step design just for you.
Click here - $20 off your first order at Spring Hill Nursery!
|
|
"I use nutmeg on a regular basis and had been looking for an easier option for grating. (We've all had the experience of grating our fingertips and knuckles at one time or another!) This is an incredible product. The construction is high quality and the fact that it came with several whole nutmegs was just an added bonus. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's looking for an alternative to the standard metal grater." by Teresa
William Bounds 3.25-in. Nut Twister Nutmeg Mill, Black, Click here.
|
|
|
Elizabeth David, who died in 1992, was a very private person who seldom gave interviews. However, a 1984 collection of her journalism entitled An Omelet and a Glass of Wine greatly revealed David to her readers and is now considered the best food book written in the 20th century. Now, nearly twenty years later, Viking will publish the sequel to that landmark book. Is There a Nutmeg in the House? contains material that has never appeared in previous collections. The emphasis throughout is on the practical aspects of cooking and eating and the book includes 150 recipes from around the world. Delightful essays on her various likes and dislikes–from the wonders of nutmeg to the utterly useless garlic press–complete a unique picture of what for so long made David the most influential writer on food in the English language.
Is There A Nutmeg In The House?, Click here.
|
|
|
Just fill with your favorite type of chocolate – milk, white or bittersweet – and turn the crank! The cinnamon mill is great on desserts as well as on cappuccinos, lattes, and other espresso beverages. Both mills feature a stainless steel grinding mechanism.
William Bounds 2-pc. Cinnamon Mill & Chocolate Mill Set, Click here.
|
|
|
Waffles bake at a constant temperature optimized for the best results, and waffle browning is controlled with a baking timer. The baking timer display shows the remaining baking time in minutes and seconds. Non-stick waffle plates wipe clean with a paper towel or damp cloth. Drip channel along edge helps prevent overflow and spills. Durable die-cast metal base and stainless steel baker lids and handles remain cool to the touch. Double-sided, clamshell baking unit rotates to provide consistent waffles with minimal gaps and spaces.
KitchenAid 7.5-in. Pro Line Waffle Iron, Nickel Pearl, Click here.
|
|
|
It is an excellent source to prepare cappuccinos and lattes, Drip-Free system, its 3-way solenoid valve instantly depressurizes the machine after brewing to eliminate dripping and wait time between shots, Brew temperature stability and abundant steam for frothing with no wait time between functions, 15 Bar Pump, Stainless steel filter baskets & rail, Cup Warmer, Dual pressure gauges – one to monitor brewing temperature and one to monitor steaming temperature, 2-liter water reservoir, Drip tray full indicator with a water-level sensor to prevent overflow, Stainless steel drip plate & frothing pitcher, Includes: single shot filter basket, a double-shot filter basket, an 8 1/2-ounce stainless steel frothing pitcher, tamper, 7-gram coffee scoop and shower screen brush, Dimensions: 16" H x 12.375" W x 12.5" D, 2-Year hassle free replacement warranty.
KitchenAid 2-L. Pro Line Espresso Maker, Nickel Pearl, Click here.
|
|
|
And despite its rugged, professional size, the system runs at a low 450 RPMs, so it causes minimum frictional heating of grinds and produces little noise. Special controls deliver coffee to burrs rather than requiring you to pour them in at once, resulting in excellent consistency and better-tasting coffee. Other highlights include a bin seal plate, easy burr removal for cleaning and under-cabinet design so you can keep it on display at all times.
KitchenAid 7-oz. Pro Line Burr Coffee Grinder, Nickel Pearl, Click here.
|
| |
killerplants Recommended Smart Stores
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BACK TO TOP
|
|