The first time I saw a mace spice mix, I was intrigued. It’s a new item, and more importantly it’s from a store called MACE that sells spice mixes and other items for grilling. Grilling season is here! Mace is as intriguing as it is delicious.

This is one of the spice mixes I’ve tried, but there are others. For example, there is an Italian Meat Rub and a chicken rub. All the mixes are available at the MACE website or on Amazon.

Mace Spice Mix

Makes 2 cups

2/3 cup kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Mace Spice is a spice made from the lacy red covering of the nutmeg seed. It can be used in place of just regular nutmeg to add a little extra flavor to your dishes. You may even have some mace spice lingering at the back of your spice rack.

Mace Spice is different than nutmeg and is used in different recipes. The leaves are removed from the seed and dried, then ground into powder or flakes. It has a floral, lemony scent and adds a nice warmth when added to dishes.

Taste:

Mace has a very strong and distinct taste that really ups the ante in any dish it is added to. Use sparingly if you are not sure how it will taste with other ingredients. It goes particularly well with poultry, seafood and meat dishes, as well as Indian recipes, egg dishes and rice.

Stop by our blog for more delicious grilling ideas featuring mace spice!

Grilling season is upon us and many of you have expressed interest in spice mixes for grilling. I am sure you will love this one, especially if you have some leftover mace from our mace spice contest.

I also want to thank everyone who participated in our mace spice contest. It was great fun and a lot of work. We loved all the recipes and we loved reading your comments and hearing your stories about mace. For those of you that missed the contest do not worry – we will be doing another one soon!

This blog is an entry in the Gourmet Blogging Challenge being hosted by Barbara of Kitchen Flavours, who has set the theme as “grilling” – so here goes!

Mace Spice

Mace spice is a mix of different spices that when mixed together create a unique and robust flavor. Mace spice is often used to season meats, like chicken, pork and seafood. It can also be used in cooking rice and vegetables. The combination of mace powder, nutmeg, cloves and other spices makes a delicious and complex spice mix. Mace spice can be used in a variety of recipes; it’s often one of the spices used in pumpkin pie spice. Here are some recipes you can use mace spice in:

Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a small bowl, stirring them together well. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Makes about 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice mix.**

Mace is the aril or seed covering of nutmeg. The house I grew up in had a mace plant in the front yard for years. My mother used to make an excellent mace sauce for chicken, so I have good memories of mace.

Mace is the dried “lacy” membrane that covers the nutmeg seed. It smells like licorice and tastes sweeter and much more fragrant than nutmeg itself. It is sometimes used to flavor wine, and can be found at specialty stores. If you can’t find it, you can use nutmeg instead, but it won’t be as good.

Tie together a bunch of dried herbs: parsley, thyme, chives, tarragon and sage. Grate fresh ginger into it too.* Add black pepper and grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over chicken, fish or steak before cooking.*

*Fresh herbs are more fragrant than dried ones, but dried herbs are often more flavorful. You can buy them in bulk at Whole Foods or other grocery stores that have a bulk section if you don’t have a lot of room for storing fresh herbs in your kitchen. Grind them with a mortar and pestle or spice mill if you have one; this releases

Mace is the red aril that covers nutmeg seeds. It has a similar flavor and aroma, with a hint of pepper. It is commonly available in grocery stores, and you may find it in Indian spice markets under the name jaiphal. Mace is also ground into powder, which can be more convenient to use than whole mace cloves.

Tandoori chicken:

– Mix together 3 tablespoons of ground mace, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, 2 teaspoons paprika and 1 teaspoon salt. Rub the mix all over the chicken pieces before grilling or roasting without oil.

– Place the chicken in a food processor and blend with 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Cook in a saucepan over medium heat until thickened.

– Add 2 cups of plain yogurt or buttermilk to the tandoori paste in food processor and blend until smooth. Mix with 2 cups of mayonnaise and chill before serving as a dressing for grilled vegetables or as a dip for grilled vegetables or as a dip for pita wedges or vegetables.

– Mix together 2 tablespoons ground mace, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper and salt to taste to make T

Mace is a spice derived from the outer shell or bark of nutmeg. Mace is almost identical to nutmeg in flavor and has similar uses, although it is often considered to be more delicate.

Some people are allergic to mace, and some reactions can be severe. As with most spices, there are also concerns about mace’s potential role in cancer.

Mace is often used in commercial meat products as a preservative instead of or in addition to salt or sodium nitrite. In some countries mace is added to a liqueur called Poire William. It is also used as an ingredient in certain brands of root beer, such as Barq’s. In India, mace is commonly used in biryanis and vegetable dishes.