Have you ever seen whole nutmeg? Whole nutmeg is actually the seed of an evergreen tree that grows on Indonesia's Spice Islands. I finally got my hands on some, and after reading that a nutmeg grater is very similar to a cheese grater, I just used a cheese grater on the finest side. After a few strokes on the metal, the nutmeg emmitted a strong, spicy scent, much more aromatic than the preground. I was definitely hooked. Can't wait to try this on spiked eggnog when Christmas comes around . . . Taking the extra time to use the whole seed really makes a difference, but not only in the taste of the food. It just feels better; there's some satisfaction in having put in a little more work. I didn't quite pluck it from the tree myself (plucked it from the Hispanic section in Wal-Mart, much less expensive than the baking section), but I was able to grate it myself, learn something myself, and in the end, put a little more of "me" into the food that I made for my family.
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