Mace

This spice tastes and smells like a pungent version of nutmeg, and for a very good reason . . . mace is the bright red membrane that covers the nutmeg seed. After the membrane is removed and dried it becomes a

yellow−orange color. It's sold ground and, less frequently, whole (in which case it's called a "blade"). Mace is used to flavor all manner of foods, sweet to savory.

Did you know that nutmeg and mace are actually siblings? These two are from the same fruit of the nutmeg treeMyristica frangrans. The nutmeg is the oval-shaped pit, which is the fruit, and mace is the bright red webbing that surrounds the shell of the pit. The maceis removed, dried and then ground into a coarse powder that turns a reddish color. The nutmeg can either be dried and left whole and packaged for grating, or dried and grated fresh.

Mace is primarily used in baking and has long been the dominant flavor in doughnuts. It is often used in cakes, cookies, and in savory dishes just like its sibling, nutmeg. Mace Combines well with allspice, cinnamon, cloves, cranberries, cumin, ginger, sugar, and vanilla and tastes great in eggs, pumpkin, yams, potatoes, sausage, veal, and stuffings.