Ground Mace

Ground mace is the finely milled orange-tan powder made from the dried aril surrounding the nutmeg seed. Its flavor is warm, citrusy, and gently peppery with a sweet-spice aroma, and it disperses easily into batters, custards, and sauces. Common uses include spicing cakes and doughnuts, enriching bechamel and cream sauces, and seasoning sausages or creamy soups; it is sold pre-ground or as blades to grind fresh.

From Myristica fragrans native to the Maluku Spice Islands, mace moved via Indian Ocean trade into South Asian, Middle Eastern, and European kitchens. Producers separate the aril from nutmeg, dry it into brittle blades, then mill it for commercial spice.