This is a chapter from my sixth book called Alphabet Soup - A different kind of cook book
Is nutmeg a nut? That is the question that came to my mind and started this chapter. Turns out that nutmeg is not a nut. A nut is a dry fruit with a hard shell and a single seed. Nutmeg comes from the seed of a fleshy fruit. Nutmeg is not the only food with nut in its name that is not a nut. There is coconut (a drupe), peanut (a legume), butternut squash, water chestnut (a tuber) and tiger nut (a tuber). Nutmeg is a spice. I was told that spices are typically plant-derived substances used to enhance flavour, aroma, or color in food. They are often extracted from parts of plants such as seeds, fruits, roots, or bark. The weird thing is that I saw nutmeg being described as a herb online. As far as I know herbs come from the leafy parts of plants. I found a German proverb that sounds like the start of a joke. It is "what should a cow do with a nutmeg?" The German proverb "Was hat eine Kuh mit Muskatnuss zu tun?" translates to "What does a cow have to do with nutmeg?" It is used to express that something is irrelevant or unnecessary in a given situation. Essentially, it's questioning the connection between two things that don't logically relate to each other. That translation is less funny when translated properly but makes more sense as a proverb then. So what should a cow do with a nutmeg? I suggest he makes noise with his imootation not-moog synthesizer.
Our neighbor Grenada is known for its nutmeg export. Grenada is also known as the spice isle. The nutmeg is even on its flag. It was news to me when I learnt that we have nutmeg farmers in Trinidad. I was happy to read about the nutmeg farmer in Matelot in the local newspapers. Besides the seed, the outer lacy covering of the nutmeg fruit, known as mace, is also used as a spice. The fleshy fruit can also be made into jelly. Just yesterday my mom was telling me about a dish my grandfather used to make with bananas called gulgula and today while scrolling through facebook I saw a recipe for gulgula that uses cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins. Gulgula is a type of banana fritter. In researching for this chapter I learnt about the calabash nutmeg. Calabash nutmeg is a different spice from common nutmeg, with a deeper, woodier flavor, originating from Africa and often used in West African cuisine. Speaking of Africa I read that the Egyptians were buried with their spices. Ancient Egyptians believed spices provided pleasant scents to accompany the deceased into the afterlife and protect against the odors of decay.
My research now takes me to football two times. I guess you could say twice the spice. Firstly we have the Spice Boys. According to wikipedia this was a media pejorative used to describe a group of high-profile Liverpool F.C. footballers in the mid-late 1990s. It was a play on the Spice Girls name. Secondly and topical for this chapter is the nutmeg move in football. A nutmeg in football involves kicking the ball through an opponent's legs, leaving them humiliated; the term likely originated from the idea of "nutmegging" someone, meaning to trick or deceive them. I think that leads to a useful message I can end this chapter with. Do not be tricked by the unwanted names that have been given to you. You do not have to let what people call you, from not knowing better, define you. There is more value in the flavour that the nutmeg brings to the table than in its name. Stay grounded like the nutmeg and remember your flavour is the spice of your life and the positive impacts you have on the world.
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