Where does nutmeg come from?

Nutmeg comes from the seed of the nutmeg tree, which is botanically known as Myristica fragrans. The nutmeg tree is native to the Banda Islands of Indonesia. As of 2014, the tree is cultivated commercially in Malaysia, the Caribbean and southern India.

The nutmeg fruit is yellow with red and green streaks when ripe. If left on the tree, the fruit breaks open to expose the seed, which is covered with a red skin. To obtain nutmeg, the seed is dried for about eight weeks. At this point, the outer skin is removed and used to make mace. The inner seed is ground into nutmeg.