Javitri & Jaiphal – Mace And Nutmeg.

Javitri and Jaiphal is known in English as mace and nutmeg respectively which are two different spices from the same plant. This video from Nisa Homey’s Skinny Recipes explains the difference between these two spices. She also tells us a bit on how to extract the spices from the nutmeg fruit.

Nisa after going on a recent trip to her hometown saw mature Nutmeg fruit trees and thought it would be a good idea to quickly explain the difference between mace and nutmeg.

In Indian Javitri is the name for Mace and Jaiphal is the Indian name for Nutmeg. The Nutmeg fruit usually matures in July and August which is also the monsoon season in her hometown.

The nutmeg fruit splits open naturally once it ripens. Pulling the fruit apart you get mace, which is a bright red in color, and the nut which provides the Nutmeg spice. The mace actually is wrapped around the nut inside the flesh of the fruit.

When you have a ripe nutmeg fruit you remove the flesh of the fruit from around the nut and then remove the mace from around the nut. You will keep and dry the two components separately.

The flesh or rind of the fruit is usually not consumed raw. Nisa’s grandmother however used to make jam, squashes, jellies and wines with it. In Indonesia the nutmeg fruit flesh often is also sliced and turned into sweets (Manisan). This is served either wet, seasoned in a sugary syrup liquid. It can also be served dry coated with sugar which is a dessert called Manisan Pala.

Once dried, the mace loses some of it bright red color turning into a dull brown. To get the nutmeg you need to break open the shell surrounding the nut.

Both these spices work very well together when making Biryani or Pulao.