Mace

Mace is the reddish, fleshy outer covering of the nutmeg, sold dried as a spice. A dictionary entry describes it as an aril of Myristica fragrans, the nutmeg tree. Nutmeg and mace are the two spices obtained from this one tree, as a spice reference from the Oxford Companion to Food notes, and the fruit that encloses them is itself edible. By the twelfth century both were well known in Europe.

Mace is sold as whole dried pieces, called blades, or ground. Its flavor is similar to nutmeg but more delicate, which is why it is often chosen for light-colored baked goods.

In baking, ground mace is used in pound cakes, doughnuts, shortbread, spice cakes, custards and fruit pies, usually in small amounts, either alone or with cinnamon, cloves and ginger.