The nutmeg is often used in savory dishes which have as basic ingredient the meat, where it subtly enhances and complements the taste. You will find it in sausage blends, lasagna and ragout. The nutmeg also pairs well with winter squash and dark green vegetables.

In the authentic European cuisine, nutmeg is especially used in potato dishes and processed meat products. It is also used in soups, sauces and pastries. In the Dutch cuisine, it is added to vegetables, like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and green beans. The nutmeg is a traditional ingredient of the warm cider, the mulled wine, your favorite latté coffee and the eggnog. For better taste, choose the whole seed and grind the exact amount that you need, using a hand grater. You do not need to roast the seed or remove the outer layer before use, while the nutmeg seeds last for years. The nutmeg powder rapidly loses its potency.
Either savory or sweet dishes, the addition of a little bit of nutmeg really boosts them – especially when it is freshly ground. Most recipes require only one eighth of a teaspoon, and rarely more than one quarter.

Its taste is sweet. In the sweet dishes, the nutmeg pairs well with recipes that have milk as their basic ingredient and it is often used in crèmes and dessert sauces. You will also discover that nutmeg is used together with other warm spices, like cinnamon, cardamom, and clove in Christmas cookies and cakes.