The Seasoning Your Grandma Probably Added To Everything From Potatoes To Pie

If you have strong memories of walking into your grandma's kitchen while she was cooking or baking, many of them are probably rooted in very distinct aromas. Even now, the smell of warm spices and savory cooking ingredients like garlic and onions may transport you back to time spent in the kitchen watching your grandma whip up one of her famous meals or desserts. And if you're a Millennial, your grandma probably used one common seasoning on everything from potatoes to pie: nutmeg.

Nutmeg is a classic spice with an incredibly complex history. While it is now probably in your kitchen year-round, it was once so sought after that wars were waged over its production. Once considered a luxury spice, which Henry VI sprinkled through the streets before his coronation in a garish show of wealth, it was typically only used by royalty and upper-class households. Its distribution was controlled by a select group who knew where it was grown. By the 17th century, the Dutch were so vested in controlling its production that they literally started a war to obtain large amounts of nutmeg and store it for their own use.

Now, nutmeg is considered a common spice that is a staple of most households. It was used frequently in recipes pre-WWII, and had a resurgence in popularity in home cooking in the '50s as families returned to making comfort foods after such a long period of rationing during the war. Incorporating nutmeg into a range of dishes is an old-school cooking hack that still works today.

Nutmeg is a warm spice with a sweet, woody flavor profile and nutty undertone. Some people liken its taste to clove or cinnamon. The flavor is strongest when nutmeg is grated; when it is ground, it may have a more subtle or muted flavor. While we now associate the flavor and aroma of nutmeg with holiday baking, recipes in cookbooks that were published before WWII called for mace or nutmeg to be used in meat, vegetable, and potato dishes as well.

Nutmeg is found in spice blends like garam masala and ras el hanout, so if your grandma regularly made Indian or Moroccan dishes, you probably associate the aroma and flavor with savory curries and stews. It is also used in some meat stews and other meat dishes popular in Latin American, Filipino, and African cuisine, as well as in a classic French potato dish, Dauphinoise Potatoes. Similar to our potatoes au gratin with Gruyere recipe, the recipe for Dauphinoise Potatoes incorporates nutmeg and thyme.

Some pre-war American recipes also had a resurgence in popularity in the '50s and beyond, and many called for the use of nutmeg. Your grandma may have sprinkled nutmeg in eggnog, added it to bread pudding, or used pumpkin pie spice (which contains nutmeg) in her famous pie recipe. In the '70s and '80s, it became popular to use nutmeg in fall soups like butternut squash or pumpkin soup. It was also commonly used in classic bechamel sauces as well as Bolognese sauce, and more adventurous home cooks even used it to elevate their mashed potato recipes.