tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19214002.post6731322233773329471..comments2024-02-05T00:53:15.750-08:00Comments on Food Writer’s Diary: More pictures of nutmeg, and my trip to the north shore.Bret Thornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05421121059536730439noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19214002.post-31338054308064338672009-07-15T11:13:55.045-07:002009-07-15T11:13:55.045-07:00"The sobriquet 'the Nutmeg State' is ..."The sobriquet 'the Nutmeg State' is applied to Connecticut because its early inhabitants had the reputation of being so ingenious and shrewd that they were able to make and sell wooden nutmegs."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cslib.org/nicknamesCT.htm" rel="nofollow">via</a>Paul Adamsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19214002.post-52600479713383824812009-07-06T09:57:19.309-07:002009-07-06T09:57:19.309-07:00I now must learn what nutmeg, a plant from the Spi...I now must learn what nutmeg, a plant from the Spice Islands of Indonesia has to do with the founding of New York, although now that I think about it the Dutch connection is pretty clear. <br />At any rate, a nutmeg is about the size of an almond in its shell. the fruit's about the size of an apricot.<br />That reminds me of a day I spent in the Sumatra town of Tapak Tuan in January of 1992. That’s the opposite end of Indonesia from the Spice Islands, but clearly nutmeg was growing there, too, as it drying on canvas all over the place. It was, like, 105°F out, and the air was redolent of the stuff. Mmm.<br />From what I understand, Tapak Tuan, being on the northwest coast of Sumatra, was devastated by the 2004 tsunami. I asked the Google how it’s doing now and couldn’t find an answer.Bret Thornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05421121059536730439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19214002.post-49497384090828862802009-07-05T18:53:03.657-07:002009-07-05T18:53:03.657-07:00I'd have loved to see a photo of you holding a...I'd have loved to see a photo of you holding a nutmeg, for scale. They look giant... are they? (I could ask the Google, but it's more web 2.0 to ask you :)<br /><br />And this reminds me of an excellent book I read about the history of nutmeg harvesting and its connection to the founding of New York City, speaking of NYC readers: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nathaniels-Nutmeg-Incredible-Adventures-Changed/dp/0140292608/ref=ed_oe_p" rel="nofollow">Nathaniel's Nutmeg</a>. The writing I recall as being so-so but the history is totally fascinating.yleenoreply@blogger.com