Nutmeg is an important spice in cooking and baking. It also can be used as an intoxicant although its side effects may limit abuse..
Grades:
(1) ABCD (allows for variation in size; also there are AB and ABC with less size variation): best, usually sold whole
(2) shrivel: less attractive but good taste
(3) broken, wormy, punky: used only for extraction
Parameters based on dried and peeled nutmegs:
(1) weight in grams per nutmeg
(2) wrinkles
(3) broken (not intact)
(4) moisture
(5) defects
|
|
ABCD (average)
|
Shrivel
|
BWP
|
|
weight per nutmeg
|
5-8
|
4.11 to 4.99
|
<= 4.10
|
|
wrinkled
|
few
|
heavy
|
NA
|
|
broken
|
no (few)
|
no (few)
|
yes
|
|
moisture
|
< 15%
|
< 15%
|
NA
|
|
defects
|
low
|
low
|
high
|
