Mace

Mace is one of the spices derived, along with nutmeg, from the seeds of Myristica fragrans. It is produced from the arillodes of M. fragrans — the red, lacy, net-like structures resembling a cockerel’s comb that envelop the nut — which are carefully detached, dried (turning orange-brown) and sold whole as blades or ground. Mace gives a warm, delicate, slightly sweeter flavour than nutmeg to baking, milk puddings, sauces, sausages and spice blends. Like other dried spices it must be stored cool, dry and dark to preserve volatile oils, and checked for microbial contamination, adulteration with spent material, and mycotoxins under spice quality schemes.