Spices
Calabash Nutmeg
Muscade de calebasse
Mali
Calabash nutmeg (Monodora myristica), a West African spice; listed in What The World Eats as a core spice of Mali; the seeds are grated and used to season soups, stews, and sauces; has a nutmeg-like flavor but more pungent; a traditional West African spice; used in soumbala-based sauces; the nutmeg of West Africa.

Original eatfuls sticker artwork
What it is
A closer look at Calabash Nutmeg.
Calabash nutmeg (Monodora myristica), a West African spice; listed in What The World Eats as a core spice of Mali; the seeds are grated and used to season soups, stews, and sauces; has a nutmeg-like flavor but more pungent; a traditional West African spice; used in soumbala-based sauces; the nutmeg of West Africa.
What to look for
Know it when you find it.
The spice should be large, round seeds; grated and used to season soups and stews; nutmeg-like but more pungent; a traditional West African spice; used in soumbala-based sauces; found at markets; the nutmeg of West Africa; a key spice in Malian cuisine.
Where it belongs
Origins and
traditions.
Food rarely respects a border. These are the places the dataset connects most strongly to Calabash Nutmeg.
Names around the table
One food, more than one name.
Keep exploring
If this caught your eye…

Absheron Peninsula, Azerbaijan
Absheron Saffron
Zəfəran
Saffron grown on the Absheron peninsula near Bilgah, the only place in the region where it is cultivated at scale.

Guam
Annatto
Roucou
The red seeds of the Bixa orellana shrub (lipstick tree); used as a condiment and natural food coloring; gives dishes a deep orange-red colour; a staple ingredient in French Guianese and Amazonian cuisine.

Herat, Afghanistan
Herat Saffron
زعفران هرات
Saffron grown around Herat, hand-picked at dawn in autumn and repeatedly rated among the world's best.

Bolivia
Aji Amarillo
The bright yellow-orange chili pepper central to Peruvian cooking. Fruity, medium-hot and used in sauces, stews and marinades.

Venezuela
Ají Dulce
Small wrinkled chilli that looks like a habanero and smells like one but carries almost no heat, the aromatic base of every sofrito.

Peru
Ají Limo
A fragrant Peruvian chili with citrusy heat, especially associated with ceviche and seafood.

Peru
Ají Mirasol
Sun-dried ají amarillo with a sweet-fruity flavor used in Peruvian sauces and stews.

Peru
Ají Panca
A dark, sweet-fruited Peruvian chili used dried and ground in marinades, adobos and stews.
