Ground Fancy East Indian Mace

McCormick Mace, Ground 15oz 425g - FAQ

Q: What is mace?

A: Mace is the lacy, red outer covering - called the aril - of the nutmeg seed inside its shell. It comes from the same tree, Myristica fragrans, which produces both nutmeg and mace.

Q: Where does mace come from?

A: Most mace is grown in Indonesia and Grenada. The tall nutmeg trees are native to Indonesia's Moluccas Islands and take about seven years before producing their first crop.

Q: How is mace harvested and prepared?

A: The bright red aril is carefully removed from the nutmeg by hand or knife, flattened, and dried in the sun for 10-14 days. As mace cures, the aroma strengthens and the color changes to a rusty orange.

Q: Why is mace more expensive than nutmeg?

A: Each acre of nutmeg trees yields roughly 500 pounds of nutmeg but only about 75 pounds of mace, making mace much rarer. In fourteenth-century England a pound of mace was worth three sheep.

Q: How does the flavor of mace compare to nutmeg?

A: Mace has a slightly lighter, more delicate flavor with the same warm, sweet-spicy notes. The two can be used interchangeably in most recipes.

Q: What foods go well with mace?

A: Mace adds depth to baked goods, desserts, and doughnuts, and it also complements meats, stews, soups, and sauces.

Q: What are "mace blades"?

A: "Blades" are the flattened, dried pieces of the mace aril. They can be added whole to clear soups or sauces for flavor and then removed before serving, similar to a bay leaf. With McCormick Ground Mace the "blades" have been powdered.

Q: Why does ground mace sometimes clump together?

A: Mace naturally contains aromatic oils that give it its rich fragrance and flavor. These natural oils can make ground mace slightly moist or clumpy, but this is normal and does not affect its quality or freshness.