
Nutmeg is the fruit of the nutmeg tree, native to the Moluccan Islands in Indonesia. It is only on the female tree that the yellow-orange fruits fall when ripe. They then release a seed: the nutmeg. Nowadays cultivated in Sri Lanka and the West Indies, this spice is widely used for its taste, between pepper and cinnamon. If cooks love it, perfumers are not to be outdone! They use the essence of the seed, obtained by steam distillation of the nuts. Its smell is quite complex and reveals different facets depending on the compositions in which it is used. Sometimes fresh or warm, aromatic or exotic, it always remains sweet and spicy. This ingredient often takes its place in oriental fragrances.