A History of Nutmeg

Summary

A History of Nutmeg

Stuff You Missed in History Class | iHeartPodcasts
Hosts: Holly Fry & Tracy V. Wilson
Release Date: December 23, 2024

---

Introduction to Nutmeg's Cultural Significance

In the December 23, 2024 episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class, hosts Holly Fry and Tracy V. Wilson delve into the intriguing history of nutmeg, a spice deeply embedded in culinary traditions worldwide. Tracy begins by highlighting nutmeg's ubiquitous presence in American kitchens during the fall and winter months. She notes, "From roughly October into maybe early January, nutmeg is in the spice blend known as pumpkin spice..." [03:29], emphasizing its role in seasonal favorites like eggnog, mulled cider, and sugar cookies.

Botanical Origins and Early Uses

Holly provides a botanical overview of nutmeg, explaining that it comes from the Myristica fragrans tree, native to the Banda Islands in Indonesia, part of the Moluccas archipelago—often referred to as the Spice Islands. She describes the tree's characteristics: "It's an evergreen tree with broad, glossy leaves which can grow to between 9 and 12 meters, or 30 and 40ft in height..." [05:30]. The duo discusses the nutmeg fruit's structure, differentiating between nutmeg (from the seed) and mace (from the aril surrounding the seed), both sharing a warm, earthy flavor but with distinct profiles [07:11].

Historical Trade and Early Global Dissemination

Tracing nutmeg's journey through history, Holly references a 2018 study indicating that nutmeg was used in food as early as 3,500 years ago [08:17]. The spice was a significant trade commodity, first transported by the Bandinese to Southeast Asia around 2000 BCE, eventually reaching the Roman Empire by approximately 2000 years ago. "By the 6th century, nutmeg had been introduced into what's now Istanbul," Holly remarks [08:44], illustrating its integration into various cultures and cuisines over centuries.

European Colonialism and the Dutch Monopoly

The episode takes a darker turn as the hosts explore the impact of European colonization on the Banda Islands. Initially, European traders relied on Arab intermediaries to access nutmeg, but with the Portuguese capture of Malacca in 1511, direct trade began [22:59]. However, it was the Dutch East India Company (VOC) that would establish a ruthless monopoly over nutmeg by 1621. Tracy narrates the VOC’s devastating tactics: "They intentionally divided up the remaining Bandonese population, including separating families, to make sure there was at least one person with the necessary knowledge at each of the plantations" [26:26]. This monopolistic grip involved not only economic control but also severe violence and genocide, reducing the Banda Islands' population from 13,000–15,000 to about 1,000 [25:20].

Cultural and Medicinal Uses of Nutmeg

Beyond its economic value, nutmeg held significant cultural and medicinal importance. Holly cites ancient texts, including the Hindu Vedas and Chinese medical writings, which document nutmeg's use in treating ailments like diarrhea and flatulence [09:12]. Additionally, nutmeg's essential oils were utilized in fragrances and medicinal creams, showcasing its versatile applications [10:37].

Spread and Diversification of Nutmeg Production

The Dutch monopoly persisted until the late 18th century, when French horticulturist Pierre Poivre successfully smuggled nutmeg seedlings to Mauritius in 1769, breaking the VOC's exclusive control [28:09]. The British later introduced nutmeg to the Caribbean, particularly Grenada, in 1843, which became a major production center until Hurricane Ivan devastated it in 2004 [30:44]. Today, Indonesia remains the largest producer, contributing about 75% of global nutmeg production [30:44].

The Notion of 'Wooden Nutmeg' and Societal Reflections

A fascinating segment discusses the term "wooden nutmeg," historically used to describe fraudulent or worthless items. Holly explains, "The Oxford English Dictionary defines wooden nutmeg as, 'a false or fraudulent thing, a fraud, cheat or deception'" [38:09]. This term reflects societal distrust towards certain merchants, particularly in 19th-century America, where "wooden nutmegs" symbolized deceitful practices by peddlers trying to pass off inferior goods [39:16]. The hosts explore literary references and regional biases, illustrating how the term permeated cultural consciousness [41:42].

Modern-Day Nutmeg and Final Reflections

Concluding the episode, Holly and Tracy remark on nutmeg's enduring legacy in global cuisine and its rich, albeit turbulent, history. Holly advises listeners to enjoy nutmeg in moderation: "Enjoy some eggnog or sugar cookies or pumpkin pie or mulled cider... but not a whole giant spoonful" [45:57]. This caution underscores the spice's potent nature and complex historical journey.

Listener Interaction and Broader Reflections

In a touching listener mail segment, a listener named Ali shares insights on open access journals, prompting the hosts to discuss broader themes of accessibility and the dissemination of knowledge—paralleling their exploration of nutmeg's widespread influence [46:08]. This segment, while somewhat tangential, reinforces the episode's overarching theme of how resources and information flow shape societies.

---

Key Takeaways

• Nutmeg's Origins: Native to Indonesia's Banda Islands, an area known as the Spice Islands.
• Trade and Monopoly: European powers, particularly the Dutch VOC, fiercely controlled nutmeg trade through violent means.
• Cultural Impact: Nutmeg influenced global cuisines, medicinal practices, and even language ("wooden nutmeg" as a term for deception).
• Modern Production: Indonesia dominates current nutmeg production, with historical plantations worldwide.
• Enduring Legacy: Despite its turbulent history, nutmeg remains a beloved spice in various culinary traditions.

This comprehensive exploration not only traces the spice's botanical and economic journey but also reflects on its profound cultural ramifications, illustrating why nutmeg is more than just a kitchen staple—it's a symbol of historical conquests, cultural exchanges, and societal perceptions.

---

Notable Quotes:

• "From roughly October into maybe early January, nutmeg is in the spice blend known as pumpkin spice..." – Tracy V. Wilson [03:29]
• "It's an evergreen tree with broad, glossy leaves which can grow to between 9 and 12 meters..." – Holly Fry [05:30]
• "They intentionally divided up the remaining Bandonese population, including separating families..." – Tracy V. Wilson [26:26]
• "The Oxford English Dictionary defines wooden nutmeg as, 'a false or fraudulent thing, a fraud, cheat or deception'" – Holly Fry [38:09]
• "Enjoy some eggnog or sugar cookies or pumpkin pie... but not a whole giant spoonful" – Holly Fry [45:57]

---

Conclusion:
The episode "A History of Nutmeg" masterfully intertwines botanical facts, historical events, and cultural narratives to present a rich tapestry of the spice's significance. Through engaging storytelling and insightful analysis, Holly and Tracy illuminate how a single spice can influence global trade, colonization, and even language, making nutmeg a fascinating subject beyond its aromatic presence in our daily lives.

Transcript

[Holly Fry]

What does every grocery store aisle now have in common? Products that come in paper packaging, and not just the obvious ones like cereal boxes and juice cartons. From beauty products to boxed water, there are more opportunities to go papertarian than ever before. So why should you? Because paper comes from a renewable resource and can be recycled up to seven times. Simply put, it's the smart choice for the environment and it turns out, the easiest choice for you. Learn more at howlifeunfolds.com Papertarium driving can sometimes feel like a chore, but driving the Toyota Crown family actually feels like a reward. Exhilarating and comfortable with bold and sophisticated design. That's the Toyota Crown family. Both the sedan and Crown Signia deliver a quiet, smooth ride with hybrid efficiency and all wheel drive confidence. Seriously, every drive in the Toyota Crown family is an experience that's captivating in every sense. Learn [e-mail] toyotacrownfamily toyota let's go places.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

It'S better over here at and T customers Switching to T Mobile has never been easier.

[Unknown]

We'll pay off your existing phone and.

Give you a new one free all.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

On America's largest 5G network. Visit t mobile.com carrierfreedom to switch today.

[Unknown]

Pay off up to $650 via virtual.

Prepaid MasterCard in 15 days. Free phone up to $830 via 24.

Monthly bill credits plus tax qualifying port.

In trade in service on Go 5G next and credit required before canceling entire account to continue bill credit to credit stop and balance and required finance agreement.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Is due right now. Get up to 25% off select online storage solutions put heavy duty HDX totes to good use, protecting what's important to you. The solid impact resistant design prevents cracking and the clear base and sides make items easy to find even when the totes are stacked. Find select online shelving and tote storage up to 25% off at the Home Depot. To organize every room in your home from your garage to your addict, visit homedepot.com how doers get more done Chronic.

[Holly Fry]

Migraine is 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting four hours or more.

[Unknown]

Botox Onobotulinum toxin a prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine before they start. Botox is not approved for adults with migraine who have 14 or fewer headache days a month. Botox prevents on average eight to nine headache days a month versus six to seven for placebo.

Botox is a prescription medicine injected by your doctor. Effects of Botox may spread hours to weeks after injection, causing serious symptoms. Alert your doctor right away as difficulty swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be signs of a life threatening condition. Patients with these conditions before injection are at highest risk. Side effects may include allergic reactions, neck and injection site pain, fatigue and headache. Allergic reactions can include rash, welts, asthma symptoms and dizziness. Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions including als, Lou Gehrig's disease, Myasthenia gravis or Lamborghini syndrome and medications including botulinum toxins as these may increase the risk of serious side effects.

[Holly Fry]

Talk to your doctor and visit botoxchronicmigraine.com.

[Unknown]

Or call 1-844botox to learn more.

[Holly Fry]

Welcome to Stuff youf Missed in History Class, a production of iHeartRadio.

[Unknown]

Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm Tracy V. Wilson.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Holly Fry.

[Unknown]

I really can't speak for anywhere else, but here in the United States, it can feel like there's just a whole lot of nutmeg around. From roughly October into maybe early January. Nutmeg is in the spice blend known as pumpkin spice, along with usually cinnamon and cloves. That does not taste anything like pumpkin and it's not supposed to mimic pumpkin flavor. Those are the spices that are usually used to flavor pumpkin pies. It would be incredibly hard to miss the fact that nowadays in the fall here there is just pumpkin spice blend and seemingly everything everywhere. Then as we get more toward winter, nutmeg goes into mulled ciders and mulled wines and eggnog, which is a personal favorite of mine. In my family, sugar cookies are a Christmas tradition, and the family sugar cookie recipe is flavored with vanilla and nutmeg. Obviously that's not everything nutmeg goes into, not even just in the United States. But it's December, so that's where my mind is right now.

[Holly Fry]

Behind the scenes, we're gonna talk about Nutmeg is year round.

[Unknown]

Of course, nutmeg is not native to the United States. It is native to the Banda Islands in Indonesia. The Banda Islands are part of the Moluccas archipelago. That's also home to other spices, including cloves. So this region has also been called the Spice Islands. People living on these islands traded spice with Asia and with other parts of the Pacific for centuries before Europeans even knew where they were or frankly, what nutmeg was. But once Europeans found that out, they had an enormous impact on nutmeg and on the islands that they were growing on. And the people living living there. That means some of the history we are going to be talking about today involves a lot of violence and genocide.

[Holly Fry]

The word nutmeg is used to describe a number of fruits and seeds from all around the world. What we're talking about today comes from the Myristica fragrans tree. It's an evergreen tree with broad, glossy leaves which can grow to between 9 and 12 meters, or 30 and 40ft in height. This tree requires shade, especially when it's young, so it usually grows alongside larger trees. Nutmeg trees normally bear fruit for the first time when they're around seven years old, and it's only around that time that you can tell whether it's a male or female tree. And the female trees are the ones that produce fruit. At the peak of productivity, one of these trees can produce as many as 20,000 fruit in a season, and they can produce fruit for 60 years or more. They can even live for more than a century.

[Unknown]

The fruit of this tree is a drupe, meaning a fleshy fruit that usually has one single seed in the middle, like a peach or an olive. The outer flesh of this drupe is pale yellow and it is edible. People eat it in the areas where it grows, including by making it into jams. When the fruit fully matures, the outer fleshy part splits open and that reveals a shiny brown seed seed in the middle. This seed is surrounded by an aril, which is a softer and in this case, bright red layer. The aril of this particular seed is not a solid covering. It looks almost like somebody haphazardly painted the seed from one end to the other in a thick red nail polish, leaving some overlaps and some gaps.

[Holly Fry]

This is the source of two spices, nutmeg from the seed and mace from the aril. They have a similar flavor, which is warm and earthy and a little bit nutty. But mace tends to be both lighter and pepperier. Turning these into spices involves removing the aril from the seed and then drying the two parts separately in the sun. This process takes just a few hours for mace, but drying and curing the nutmeg takes six to eight weeks.

[Unknown]

The nutmeg spice doesn't come from the whole seed, but from smaller kernels that are inside of it. Once the seed is fully dry, you can shake it and those rattle around in there. Typically, these kernels are removed by tapping one end of the seed covering to break it open. Sometimes that's done by hand and sometimes with a machine. You can purchase both nutmeg and Mace, either ground or whole. Whole nutmeg looks like a little dried nut, while mace blades, which is what the whole form is called, that looks more like little dried fruit strips.

[Holly Fry]

According to a 2018 paper published in the journal Asian Perspectives that examined residues on pottery fragments, the earliest known use of nutmeg in food dates back 3,500 years. Nutmeg was also one of the first spices to be traded from these islands. The Bandinese traded nutmeg to other parts of Southeast Asia as long ago as 2000 BCE and later to south and Southwest Asia.

[Unknown]

Over the centuries that followed, traders carried the spice to other parts of the world, including Eastern Africa. It had probably made its way to the Roman empire by about 2000 years ago. Pliny the Elder described a tree whose fruit has two flavors. That sounds like it could be nutmeg. By the 6th century, nutmeg had been introduced into what's now Istanbul. And by the Middle Ages, it had made its way to Western Europe.

[Holly Fry]

For centuries, virtually all of the nutmeg that arrived in Western Europe got there via Arab traders through the port of Venice. And for a long time, Europeans didn't know exactly where this spice was coming from. Its origin was a closely guarded secret. It's possible that nutmeg was carried from Indonesia to Polynesia to the Americas before Columbus made his first voyage in the 15th century. But the largest source of nutmeg was more likely to have been European colonists later on.

[Unknown]

Throughout its history, nutmeg has been used to make incense and fragrances. The earliest references to medicinal uses for nutmeg are in the Hindu texts known as the Vedas, which date back to about 1500 BCE on the Indian subcontinent. Chinese medical texts from the 8th century describe using nutmeg to treat diarrhea. Persian mathematician and physician Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna, described a similar use for nutmeg in his Canon of medicine in 1025. In various parts of the world, nutmeg has also been used to treat and prevent flatulence. And in more recent years, there have been controlled trials into whether it's effective against a range of conditions, including diabetic neuropathy, depression and digestive issues, including nausea and vomiting.

[Holly Fry]

Essential oils can be extracted from nutmeg and mace through pressing or steam distillation, which produces nutmeg butter or oil of mace. In addition to being used in condiments and fragrances, these are also used medicinally. Nutmeg butter in particular has also been used to make pain relieving topical creams to treat conditions like arthritis.

[Unknown]

And there are some other uses for nutmeg as well. One of nutmeg's many compounds is called myristicin, and it has a number of properties, including being insecticidal. That might be why 12th century Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI had the streets of Rome fumigated with it before his coronation. The tale of Sir Topas from Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, which was written at the end of the 14th century, also includes a description of riding through a fair forest full of wild beasts and herbs large and small, with one of those herbs being quote, note mudge to put in ale, whether it be moist or stale, or for to lay in a coffer. A coffer is a cabinet or a trunk where a person would store their clothes. So it's possible that laying nutmeg in the coffer was about keeping the moths or the fleas or other pests away.

[Holly Fry]

And of course, nutmeg has been used to flavor a wide range of sweet and savory foods all over the world. It's one of the flavorings in bechamel sauce, which is one of the mother sauces in French cuisine. It's also part of a lot of spice blends, including mulling spices in various parts of Europe, jerk seasonings in Jamaica, Quatre epice in France, speculus Croydon in the Netherlands, mixed spice in the uk, Ras El Hanout in Northern Africa, and of course, pumpkin spice here in the U.S. pumpkin spice might seem like a recent invention based on its increasing ubiquity in the autumn over the last couple of decades, but McCormick's first pumpkin spice blend containing cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and AllSpice, launched 90 years ago in 1934. Also, we know people have extremely strong feelings about their spice blends. So if in your opinion, nutmeg does not belong in one of those that we just mentioned, absolutely don't use it in there or don't purchase the pre made ones that include it.

[Unknown]

Historical medical literature also includes numerous accounts of nutmeg poisoning. Nutmeg butter contains high concentrations of various substances that can be toxic, but the spice can also be toxic if it's ingested in large amounts. Overwhelmingly, these reports have not been from somebody just overdoing it with the nutmeg in their cooking, though some of the compounds in nutmeg can be intoxicants or hallucinogens. And so there are cases of people poisoning themselves while intentionally ingesting it for that reason. But most of the reports in historical medical literature have described someone who is attempting to terminate a pregnancy and nearly all of those reports. Those attempts were not successful, but the person did become very ill. In more recent years, there have also been viral nutmeg challenges on social media, leading to calls to poison control or even hospitalizations. Please do not eat giant tablespoons full.

[Holly Fry]

Of nutmeg the risks of ingesting large amounts of nutmeg have been known for a very long time. There was a saying at the Salerno School of Medicine, which was founded in Salerno, Italy in the 10th century, that one nut is good for you, the second will do you harm, the third will kill you. To be clear though, there is only one known fatality from ingesting nutmeg, which was in an eight year old who ate two whole nutmegs. There is no antidote for nutmeg poisoning though. People are just given supportive care as they recover. So once again, don't be chugging down tons of nutmeg.

[Unknown]

No today the vast majority of nutmeg being produced is used as a flavoring in processed foods like sausages. Globally, about 12,000 tons of nutmeg are produced annually and about 2,000 tons of mace. That sounds like a lot, especially when you're considering how much does come in like a little nutmeg jar for your house. But that's only about 10% of how much pepper is produced every year, and pepper production is less than 20% of Chile production.

[Holly Fry]

After a quick sponsor break, we're going to talk more about the Banda Islands and what happened there after Europeans learned that they were the home of nutmeg.

[Unknown]

Congratulations to CBS Sports and Sony Electronics for their first place wins for Innovation in industry at this year's unconventional awards by T Mobile for Business. In a collaboration that was clearly built on breaking new ground, CBS and Sony created a first of its kind broadcast for the PGA Championship. Using a custom built T Mobile Private 5G network to power the live production, they deployed a 5G wireless camera system throughout the event. The network speed, combined with Sony's innovative ultra Low Latency video codec allowed for seamless, high quality footage without disruption. With that innovative approach, CBS gave broadcasters the tools they need to do what they do best. Take their coverage to entirely new places. These innovations will shape the way live sports are covered moving forward. And for that, T Mobile congratulates Sony and CBS for their unconventional thinking With.

Shipt Same day delivery, you get more than just groceries delivered by hand from your favorite stores. You get to hunker down for holiday movie night, toast mimosas with friends, or check out the neighborhood light displays. So while a shopper with Shipt checks off your grocery list or makes that last minute trip to the store, you get the greatest gift of all. More. You get more from the holidays. Download the Shipt app and start shopping today.

Homeowners, if you want to sell your house fast for all cash, stop what you are doing and listen to this because Osborne Homes wants to buy your house right now.

[Alec]

I'm Alec from Osborne Homes and we want to buy your house. Nobody buys more homes in California than Osborne. Whether it's a total fixer upper or in perfect condition, Osborne Homes is the easiest way to sell your house fast. All cash. Best of all, when you sell your house to Osborne Homes, there are zero commissions, zero fees plus no banks, no realtors, no repairs and no waiting to close. We buy your house as is. All cash. Just go to osbornhomes.com right now to get your free no obligation all cash offer. We are here and ready to buy your house 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

[Unknown]

Just go to OsborneHomes.com go to OsborneHomes.com right now. Don't wait. Sell your house to Osborne Homes and put the cash in your pocket right away. Just go to osbornehomes.com that's osbornehomes.com osbornehomes.com Osbornehomes.com.

Introducing signals, the next generation of platforms for investors designed to elevate your trading strategy by giving access to insights used by Wall street pros to dominate the market. Signals uses its proprietary data of $70 billion in consumer spend across North America to spot market trends before they make the headlines. We bring you the alternative data that drives decisions at top hedge funds, allowing you to carve your own edge in the stock market. Join the insider circle who are already transforming their investment strategies. Visit joinsignals.com to start your free 14 day trial. No hidden fees, no gimmicks, just pure actionable insights. End your reliance on outdated information with signals. Invest like a pro, make informed decisions swiftly and stay ahead of the curve. Uncover tomorrow's market moves with today's real time data. Visit jointsignals.com today.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Head over to NFLShop.com for the largest collection of officially licensed gear from all your favorite brands. NFL Shop is your ultimate gifting destination for jerseys, T shirts, headwear and more. Take your game day style to the next level with the best selection of NFL gear anywhere.

[Unknown]

Shop.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Show off your team pride this holiday season with styles fit for the whole family. To shop now, go to NFLShop.com.

[Unknown]

By the middle Ages nutmeg had become a big part of Western European cuisine. As we said earlier, most of it was being brought to Venice by Arab traders and then going on to the rest of Europe from there in the late Middle Ages to the early modern era. Nutmeg was so popular in Europe that people carried their own pocket graters and receptacles for the ground nutmeg so that they could grate fresh nutmeg onto their food there at the table. For wealthy people, these were usually made of silver, and silversmiths used nutmeg vessels to really demonstrate their skills. Sometimes the container and the grater were all one device that was cleverly shaped like some kind of seed or something else entirely less. Wealthy people typically still had these if they had enough money to afford nutmeg, but it would be something more like a tin grater and a wooden box.

[Holly Fry]

The 17th Century Cookbook the Accomplished Cook by Robert May demonstrates how popular nutmeg was in England in the early modern period and how extensively it was being used in food. This cookbook is about 520 pages long and it contains 608 mentions of nutmeg and 569 mentions of mace. And it's not just in one kind of food. The recipes are arranged in 24 sections, like boiled meats, roast meats, puddings, creams, pies and tarts, fish and salads. That's salads just spelled differently. The only sections that don't seem to contain any nutmeg are the section on salads and the last section, which is about what to feed poultry.

[Unknown]

It's possible that there's a nutmeg mention in the salads that I missed. That's maybe spelled weirdly because there are a couple of spelling variations in these in this book. But like basically every kind of food had nutmeg in it. It's not entirely clear when and how Europeans learned exactly where nutmeg came from. A couple of the sources that were used in this episode specifically mention geographer Zakaria Al Kazwini, who was born in what's now Iran. And they claim that he disclosed what had been a secret. I'm honestly not sure what he might have said about nutmeg and his writing because I did not have access to those texts. But he did describe cinnamon as coming from a place called Serendib, which was Sri Lanka. He did that about 1275. Ibn Battuta, who we've covered on the show before, also described Sri Lanka as the home to cinnamon in 1340. So cinnamon is not nutmeg. Sri Lanka is off the eastern coast of India. It is far to the west of the Banda Islands. But it's very clear that sources like these, translated into Latin, were one of the ways Europeans learned about where various spices came from. It's really likely that sources like these and other translations of Arabic works with ongoing patterns of trade and the accounts of European explorers and cartographers and other travelers, that all this combined to give Europeans a general idea of where the Spice Islands were by the 15th and 16th centuries.

[Holly Fry]

With that knowledge, various European powers started trying to capture parts of south and Southeast Asia, not just for nutmeg, but for the other spices and trade goods that were coming out of the region as well. In 1511, a force led by Afonso de Albuquerque of Portugal captured Malacca in what's now Malaysia, which was a key trading hub for the Indonesian archipelago. This made it possible for the Portuguese to start buying nutmeg directly from the Banda Islands, rather than going through Arab traders.

[Unknown]

At that point, the Portuguese didn't really have the military or naval strength to start trying to conquer the islands themselves, but the Dutch and the English did. The Dutch invaded the Banda Islands in 1599 and established the Dutch East India Company, or VOC, two years later, in 1616, the English took control of the island of Run, which is part of this archipelago. They were basically just trying to keep it out of the hands of the Dutch. And then the English established the English East India Company. The English and the Dutch fought over territory in these islands, including the Dutch laying siege to Run and ultimately occupying it. In 1621, the VOC aggressively worked to.

[Holly Fry]

Limit nutmeg production only to the islands that it controlled and to establish a monopoly on the nutmeg trade. This meant destroying nutmeg trees on islands it did not control and trying to force the Bandinese to stop trading their own nutmeg with any of their existing trading partners.

[Unknown]

There was no central Bandonese authority for the Dutch or any other European power to try to treat with. There were various elders and families that had become wealthy as traders on each of these islands. But even from one island to another, there was no one primary authority figure. Broadly speaking, though, the Bandinese refused to accept Dutch claims over the islands, and the idea of a trading monopoly was just completely foreign to them. They aggressively fought back, and the Dutch decided the best course of action would be to clear the islands of as many of them as possible.

[Holly Fry]

At first, the Dutch tried to get the Bandinese to leave, including trying to convince them to surrender their weapons, destroy their own villages, and allow the Dutch to deport them to somewhere else. When that didn't work, Governor General Jan Peterson Kuhn met with his council to formulate a new plan, and they unanimously agreed to burn down the Bandonese villages and destroy all of their boats themselves, so that the Bandinese would have no choice but to go where the Dutch took them.

[Unknown]

During this sweep of destruction, the Dutch captured and enslaved some of the Bandinese, but they massacred many more. It's estimated that there were 13,000 to 15,000 people living in the Banda Islands before the Dutch conquest and genocide, and then only about 1000 afterward. This took place over just a couple of months in 1621. But surviving Bandinese who had fled to the mountains or to other nearby archipelagos, continued to fight against the Dutch for years.

[Holly Fry]

The people of the Banda Islands had been nurturing and harvesting from nutmeg trees for thousands of years. The trees were one part of the land that they lived with, interconnected with everything else on the islands that they shared. But the Dutch East India Company moved to a system of large cultivated nutmeg estates, including attempting to uproot young nutmeg trees out of their forests to transplant them to these plantations. But the Bandinese were the only people who actually knew how to grow and process nutmeg. So the Dutch intentionally divided up the remaining Bandonese population, including separating families, to make sure there was at least one person with the necessary knowledge at each of the plantations. The resulting practices for cultivating these trees became a hybrid of indigenous knowledge and imported European methods.

[Unknown]

The Dutch also enslaved people from other islands to work on the plantations. About 13% of the enslaved population in the Banda Islands was Bandonese, and then the rest were from somewhere else, usually in Southeast Asia, places that the VOC had claimed other territory. This had a similar impact to the transatlantic slave trade in Africa, including influencing the escalation of warfare among different peoples as the Dutch then enslaved their prisoners of war. In addition to the enslaved people who were working on nutmeg plantations, Dutch officials also enslaved people in their households. They were also known for forcing the people who they saw as the best workers to serve on their trading ships.

[Holly Fry]

The Dutch East India Company's efforts to keep the Banda Islands and its nutmeg monopoly wasn't just a military effort. They also distributed inaccurate maps to try to keep other European powers from knowing exactly where the islands were. And once they had a monopoly, they artificially controlled the price of nutmeg, including by burning down warehouses full of it when there was an oversupply.

[Unknown]

The Dutch monopoly on nutmeg lasted for more than a century. In 1667, the Dutch Republic solidified its hold on these islands through the Treaty of Breda, which ended the Second Anglo Dutch War. This treaty formalized Dutch control of the island of Run in exchange for English control of the island of Manhattan, which is why sometimes people say the Dutch traded Manhattan for nutmeg.

[Holly Fry]

But in 1769, French horticulturalist Pierre Poivre, who is possibly the namesake of the nursery rhyme character Peter Piper, smuggled 32 nutmeg seedlings from the Banda Islands to the French colony of Mauritius. This was actually his second attempt. On his first try, only two of the seedlings survived. By 1773, nutmeg trees were also being introduced to other French colonies that seemed like they might have the right climate for them later.

[Unknown]

During the French Revolutionary wars, the Dutch Republic became the Batavian Republic, and then that came under control of the French Empire. So during the Napoleonic wars, the British invaded the Banda Islands, now considered part of the general French territory. That was a campaign that took about seven months. And then after taking control of the islands, the British started introducing nutmeg trees to their colonies in Caribbean as well. English planter Frank Gurney introduced nutmeg trees to Grenada in 1843, with the first commercial nutmeg plantation established there in 1850. These new sources of nutmeg meant that the price of nutmeg plummeted in North America in the mid to late 19th century. Eventually, control of the Banda Islands did return to the Dutch, but by that point, nutmeg trees had been transplanted to so many other places controlled by other countries that there was no way for the Dutch to re establish a monopoly.

[Holly Fry]

Slavery was abolished in the Netherlands Indies in 1863. Japan invaded Indonesia during World War II, and Indonesia proclaimed its independence shortly after the Japanese surrender. Today, Indonesia is the source of about 75% of global nutmeg production. Grenada was producing about 20% of the world's nutmeg until Hurricane Ivan devastated the island's nutmeg trees in 2004. Since it takes roughly seven years for nutmeg trees to produce their first fruit after being planted, and it takes about 20 years for them to reach full productivity. The nutmeg industry on Grenada took a very long time to recover. Other sources of nutmeg include Sri Lanka, India, China, and a number of islands off the coast of Africa and in the Caribbean.

[Unknown]

After another sponsor break, we will take a look at one of the weirder parts of Nutmeg's history.

Congratulations to CBS Sports and Sony Electronics for their first place wins for innovation in industry at this year's Unconventional awards by T Mobile for Business. In a collaboration that was clearly built on breaking new ground, CBS and Sony created a first of its kind broadcast for the PGA Championship. Using a custom built T Mobile Private 5G network to power the live production, they deployed a 5G wireless camera system throughout the event. The network's speed combined with Sony's innovative ultra low latency video codec allowed for seamless, high quality footage without disruption. With that innovative approach, CBS gave broadcasters the tools they need to do what they do best take their coverage to entirely new places. These innovations will shape the way live sports are covered moving forward. And for that, T Mobile congratulates Sony and CBS for their unconventional thinking with.

Shipt Same Day Delivery, you get more than just groceries delivered by hand from your favorite stores. You get to hunker down for holiday movie night, toast mimosas with friends or check out the neighborhood light displays. So while a shopper with Shipt checks off your grocery list or makes that last minute trip to the store, you get the greatest gift of all. More. You get more from the holidays. Download the Shipt app and start shopping today.

Homeowners, if you want to sell your house fast for all cash, stop what you are doing and listen to this because Osborne Homes wants to buy your house house right now.

[Alec]

I'm Alec from Osborne Homes and we want to buy your house. Nobody buys more homes in California than Osborne. Whether it's a total fixer upper or in perfect condition, Osborne Homes is the easiest way to sell your house fast. All cash. Best of all, when you sell your house to Osborne Homes, there are zero commissions, zero fees plus no banks, no realtors, no repairs and no waiting to close. We buy your house as is. All cash. Just go to OsborneHomes.com right now to get your free, no obligation all cash offer. We are here and ready to buy your house 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

[Unknown]

Just go to OsborneHomes.com go to OsborneHomes.com right now. Don't wait. Sell your house to Osborne Homes and put the cash in your pocket right away. Just go to OsborneHomes.com that's OsborneHomes.com OsborneHomes.com Osborne Homes.com.

Introducing signals, the next generation of platforms for investors designed to elevate your trading strategy by giving access to insights used by Wall street pros to dominate the market. Signals uses its proprietary data of $70 billion in consumer spend across North America to spot market trends before they make the headlines. We bring you the alternative data that drive decisions at top hedge funds, allowing you to carve your own edge in the stock market. Join the insider circle who are already transforming their investment strategies. Visit joinsignals.com to start your free 14 day trial. No hidden fees, no gimmicks, just pure actionable insights. End your reliance on outdated information with signals. Invest like a pro. Make informed decisions swiftly and stay ahead of the curve. Uncover tomorrow's market moves with today's real time data. Visit jointsignals.com today.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Head over to NFLShop.com for the largest collection of officially licensed gear from all your favorite brands. NFL Shop is your ultimate gifting destination for jerseys, T shirts, headwear and more. Take your game day style to the next level with the best selection of NFL gear anywhere. Show off your team pride this holiday season with styles fit for the whole family. To shop now, go to NFLShop.com.

[Unknown]

As Europeans started colonizing the Americas, as we said earlier, they brought nutmeg with them. Nutmeg became less expensive and more widely available in the United States after the Dutch started to lose their monopoly. Between 1854 and 1868, 17 different mechanical nutmeg graters were patented in the United States. So that's an indication of how popular and available nutmeg was by then. Prior to that, though, nutmeg could be really expensive. So sometimes people made fake nutmegs out of wood to sell them to unsuspecting people in place of the real thing.

[Holly Fry]

Maybe there's some debate about this. A dried whole nutmeg does look sorta like it's made of wood. It's feasible that someone could carve one and try to pass it off as the real thing. But nutmeg has a very distinct fragrance. It might not be as perceptible as a whole dried seed, especially somewhere like a store where it might be surrounded by other fragrant spices. But as soon as someone tried to grate it onto their food, it would be completely obvious that they were getting sawdust and not nutmeg. It would not take long for word to spread that so and so down at the mercantile was selling wooden fake nutmegs.

[Unknown]

It might be more feasible for a traveling peddler who could leave town before people realized their nutmegs were f. But if people knew there was a risk of buying wooden nutmegs, they could just take a great big sniff before buying. And if it didn't seem obvious at that point insist on grading a tiny bit off to smell it before making a purchase.

[Holly Fry]

Another possibility is that importers and wholesalers were using wooden nutmegs to stretch out their stock. So mixing some wooden nutmegs into a barrel of real ones before shipping it out again, this is possibly a little bit more believable, although there are questions of how much it would have cost to pay someone to hand carve wooden nutmegs with a 19th century tool and how that would compare to the cost of actually having real nutmegs.

[Unknown]

I read a whole paper on this trying to work out whether it was economically feasible to con people in this way. Regardless of whether people really were passing off wooden nutmegs as the real thing, there was definitely a perception that this was happening. The Oxford English Dictionary defines wooden nutmeg as, quote, a false or fraudulent thing, a fraud, cheat or deception. Also in more direct allusions, as representing the type of something useless or worthless A lot of the uses of the term wooden nutmeg that the OED cites are about merchants and peddlers, specifically northern merchants and peddlers in the United States. In addition to the anti Northern bias shown there, some of these entries are also anti Semitic. They compare these northern peddlers to Jewish peddlers and then either imply or just flat out state that Jewish people are also dishonest.

[Holly Fry]

A number of these uses of the term wooden nutmeg are also particularly focused on peddlers from Connecticut. A lot of the nutmeg supply in North America came through Connecticut ports, which is connected to why one of the unofficial mottos for Connecticut is the nutmeg State and Connecticut residents are sometimes called nutmeggers.

[Unknown]

I was in Connecticut this weekend and I mentioned that this was the topic of the episode that I was working on, and the Connecticut residents there immediately said, are you going to talk about Connecticut being the Nutmeg State? The OED's first use reported for wooden nutmegs is cited as being published in 1822. This was in a pedestrian tour of 2, 300 miles in North America to the Lakes, the Canadas, and the New England England states, performed in the autumn of 1821, embellished with views by P. Stansbury, New York, 1822, that was published in North American Review. One section described a group of people encountered by this Mr. Stansbury quote. Among them were two persons whom he pronounces to have been, in the mild signification of the term, Boston Sharpers, and who commenced business by a boisterous colloquy about such smart men of their town, such and such sharp fellows in their neighborhood, and made many shrewd remarks concerning horse dealing, swapping, purchasing molasses and vending clocks, wooden bowls and pumpkin pie dishes to the south ward. We think we see the wicked smile of these rogues in making our poor pedestrians swallow all they chose to put themselves off for, and a high treat they must have had to see worthy Mr. Stansbury entering them in his notebook. First as horse jockeys, then West India supercargos, then traveling peddlers, or rather all at once, without the good man's dreaming of the hoax. The Boston folks are sharp indeed, rather too much so to blow themselves thus to Mr. Stansbury we have no doubt he expected every moment to see the dogs pull out a bag of wooden nutmegs.

[Holly Fry]

Another early example is from 1836 in the sayings and Doings of Samuel Slick of Slickville by Thomas Halliburton that was published in the Nova Scotian. This passage describes a Captain Allspice of Nahant, which is a town on a little peninsula in Massachusetts roughly between Boston and Salem. He used to trade to Charleston, and he carried a cargo once there of barrels of nutmegs. Well, he put half a bushel of good ones into each end of the barrel, and the rest he filled up with wooden ones, so like the real thing, no soul could tell the difference until he bit one with his teeth, and that he never thought of doing until he was first bit himself. Well, it's been a standing joke with them Southerners again us ever since. This work uses the term wooden nutmeg at two other points to describe someone as a cheat.

[Unknown]

The idea that Northerners, especially Northern merchants and peddlers, were con artists even made its way into things like math problems. Elements of Algebra by Daniel Harvey hill, published in 1857, included this word problem quote, A Yankee mixes a certain number of wooden nutmegs, which cost him 1/4 cent apiece, with a quality of real nutmegs worth 4 cents a piece, and sells the whole assortment for $44 and gains $3.75 by the fraud. How many wooden nutmegs were there? The answer, according to the textbook, is 100. I did some maths that came up with the answer 100, but I don't know if that's the way it was meant to be solved. Hill was a professor of mathematics and civil engineering at Davidson College in North Carolina and would go on to be a Confederate general. One of the sources used in this episode framed all of this as an example of Southern attitudes toward the north in the years just before the US Civil War. But this book was also published in Philadelphia, so if that's the case, his northern publisher left it in there.

[Holly Fry]

The use of the term wooden nutmegs went on long past the end of the Dutch monopoly on the spice. A 1918 article by Logan Israe was published in the Mississippi Valley Historical Review, and it was titled the Literary Spirit among the Early Ohio Valley Settlers. This essay is about the availability of books and literature in the East Ohio Valley and the state of the publishing and literary industries there. It reads in part how far the commercial desire inspired the Western writers one cannot tell, but it had some influence. Nor was there an entire lack of a book market in the Valley. One writer states that all the tin wagon pit, coal, indigo, wooden nutmeg, and wooden clock peddlers of Connecticut then operating in the west had suddenly turned into book agents. Their books were said to be out of date editions and unsalable books of New England refurnished with new dates and gaudy illustrations. We only need refer to tradition to prove how successful were these locusts in gulling the people. It may easily be surmised that many a Westerner imagined he could equal the literary work in these books.

[Unknown]

The use of the word wooden nutmegs to mean a dishonest cheat seems to have been most prevalent in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Nowadays, most of the uses of it that you'll see in newly published things like news articles, magazine articles, things like that, they are in discussions of wooden nutmegs and where that saying came from, not in most cases, somebody actually using it to describe someone else as untrustworthy.

[Holly Fry]

If you are about to go enjoy some eggnog or sugar cookies or pumpkin pie or mold cider or speculas or sausage or jerk chicken or any of the many other dishes in the world that often include nutmeg, please enjoy. But not a whole giant spoonful.

[Unknown]

We beg, please do not. Yeah, so that's nutmeg. I have a little listener mail also to take us out.

[Holly Fry]

Bring it on.

[Unknown]

Delicious episode. This is from Ali and Ali wrote to us and said hi. I love you guys. I've been listening to the podcast since I learned what podcasts were. Haha. At least a decade or so. My favorite show by far. I heard you all mention open access journals in an April episode and I thought I'd give you an insider look at this change in publication type. In the past, the payment for publishing journals came from the organizations that had a subscription, and anyone who chose to pay individually to read them. The authors, researchers and scientists generally at universities did not pay to publish them and also received no payment. Open access allows readers to view them for free. Amazing. And how all of Scientific information Should Work but the researchers and professors now have to be the ones who pay to publish the article. About $3,000 US per article. Huge universities such as Duke might have a fund for this, but most universities and their professors have no money to do so. Therefore, this work now goes unpublished in those journals. More and more publishing companies are going open access because the payment they receive with certainty about $3,000 from the professors might be more than they would get from subscriptions. Scientists and researchers with smaller budgets such as history professors are finding it more and more difficult to publish their studies and work. The big budget R1 organizations are the ones who can afford it now. So we both love and hate open access. Scientific information should be open to all and accessible for researchers to publish. Heart Emoji Love you all. Ali thank you Ali for this. It's not really new information to me, but I thought it might be to our listeners. My opinion is that the entire ecosystem of academic journal publishing is very broken in a variety of ways because there's this whole issue. There are some resources available in some cases for people to get funding to pay that open access fee. I have somewhere on my computer a bookmarked list of like one particular organization that has provided a lot of grant funding to researchers, and one of the conditions is open access publishing that is then funded. So like there are some options for that, but of course those are in limited supply and might not exist in all the different fields and specializations. There's just, I feel like every time I turn around a new headline about some kind of crisis in academic publishing, including widespread stuff making it through peer review that should not have and things being retracted that have gone on to just be the basis of multiple other papers later on. And for me, as a person who is working on a generalist podcast that does not have a budget to pay individually for articles, sometimes when I'm working on something like Unearthed, there might be hundreds of articles that I am looking at and there's no way to pay the somewhere between 30 and like $75 a piece to read every one of them. I do have multiple library cards to multiple library systems, including some academic libraries, but even with that, sometimes, like if there's a paper behind a $75 paywall or whatever that I just don't have access to through any of those other resources, that's probably not getting used on the show. Occasionally it's the $75 paywall for an article that was published a century ago, and that gets very wild to me because eventually we get to the point where you would think that would be in the public domain, but it's still behind a paywall. So a lot of different ways to criticize and find frustration with this entire industry, and yet it's one that we rely on for our work and that, you know, people I know who are in academia also rely on for their work in a completely different way. So thank you again, Ali, for that email and to everyone for listening to my rant about academic publishing. If you'd like to send us a note about this or any other podcast, we're history [e-mail], and you can subscribe to our show on the iHeartradio app and anywhere else you'd like to get your podcasts. Stuff youf Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts, guests from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Here's to the season. From hanging ornaments and matching pajamas to building gingerbread houses with extra icing and staying up late to wrap gifts and watch movies, these traditions make the holidays truly special. And through it all, the Chinet brand is there to share in the joy. With the Chinatte Crystal Collection, holiday tables are perfectly coordinated, allowing for excellence with less cleanup so everyone can focus on what really matters. Here's to the traditions that bring everyone together year after year. Here's to us. All of us. Find a local [e-mail] Driving can sometimes.

[Holly Fry]

Feel like a chore, but driving the Toyota Crown family actually feels like a reward. Exhilarating and comfortable with bold and sophisticated design. That's the Toyota Crown family. Both the sedan and Crown Signia deliver a quiet, smooth ride with hybrid efficiency and all wheel drive confidence. Seriously, every drive in the Toyota Crown family is an experience that's captivating in every sense. Learn [e-mail] toyotacrownfamily toyota let's go places.

[Unknown]

You wake up, put on your Ray Ban Meta glasses. You're living all in. You realize you need coffee so you say, hey Meta, how do I make a latte brew two shots of espresso after Meta AI gets you caffeinated, you're ready for some beats. Hey Meta Play hip hop music.

[Alec]

You head to meet some friends but.

[Unknown]

Can'T remember the place. Hey Meta, Call Eva Ray ban meta glasses, the next generation of AI glasses. Just say hey, Meta. To harness the power of Meta AI.

Shop [e-mail] Marklass we've all got a thing, an obsession. For some of us, it's vintage fashion, our cars, anything we can collect, they all live under one. EBay. It's where closets get filled with statement pieces and vintage finds, where must have sneakers wait for you. And designer handbags are the real deal on ebay, doors open to stacks of the rarest trading cards and a garage stocked with all the car parts you need for any DIY job. EBay's home to whatever thing you're into that keeps you up at night. EBay Things people love With Kroger brand.

[Holly Fry]

Products you can get all of your favorite things this holiday season. Because our proven quality products come at exceptionally low prices and with a money back quality guarantee, every dish is sure to be a favorite, from sweet sugar cookies and holiday ham to that perfect slice of pie. Whether you shop, delivery, pickup or in store, Kroger brand has all your favorite things. Kroger Fresh for everyone.