The Spruce Eats: What Is Mace? Mace is an aromatic spice mace vs nutmeg in baked goods as well as savory dishes.

Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends. Mace is native to Indonesia and also found in some Caribbean islands, particularly Grenada, where nutmeg is the national symbol and appears on the country’s flag. The color of the spice can often help determine the origin of mace. While orange-red blades tend to be from Indonesia, orange-yellow blades most likely come from Grenada. The Myristica fragrans evergreen tree is indigenous to the Moluccas Islands in Indonesia, also known as the Spice Islands. Grown extensively in other tropical regions, this plant can be found from China to Sri Lanka, the Caribbean, and South America.

Although mace is sold in whole pieces called blades, it’s more common to find the ground form. As with nutmeg, for the truest flavor, it is best to purchase whole mace blades and grind them as needed. However, ground mace does keep its flavor longer and better than ground nutmeg and other spices. Mace’s flavor is sweet, woody, and warm, with a mild pungent kick, very much like nutmeg but softer and not quite as sweet. The majority of recipes call for ground mace.

No preparation is needed and it can be used right out of the jar. Add it to a dry spice mix, incorporate it into a recipe, or sprinkle it on top of sweets, porridge, or beverages in a similar manner to ground nutmeg. Mace blades are easy to grind, either with a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Mace is a component of numerous spice mixtures, including curry powder, garam masala, and ras el hanout. The best substitute for mace is an equal amount of nutmeg, though the flavor of nutmeg is stronger.