Spice Island


Grenada is known as the spice island because it produces the most spices per square mile of any country. The primary spices are cinnamon and nutmeg. Nutmeg is important to the island and the economy and is featured in the country’s flag.

Nutmeg seed on the left

I bought 6 whole nutmeg in the market, for about $2.50 US, shortly after I arrived. They came in a plastic bag. The nut has a very thin shell. However, as I don’t use nutmeg very fast - most of them ended up with a white fuzzy mold that went through the shell, wasted. I probably should not have left them in the bag in the humid weather.

Nutmeg tree

Fruiting about a month ago - some beginning to split
There is a nutmeg tree along the way to school and this is the season for the nut to drop. Over the last couple of weeks as I walked past I saw some on the ground. I waited some time to see if they would be collected and then decided I didn’t want them to go to waste. I’m using a net bag to hopefully dry and keep the nuts until I can use them.


Nutmegs on the ground - the red netting is easily removed.

The nutmeg collected

Hanging next to some old bay leaves

Before Ivan I understand that the small island produced a significant portion of the world supply of nutmeg. The 2004 hurricane took a big hit on the nutmeg trees, which require about 15 years to become productive. After Ivan some farmers planted cocoa, which takes significantly less time to become productive (3 to 5 years), as a gap crop until the new nutmeg trees became productive. Cocoa is not really a spice – I understand it is one of the basic food groups.

We have a number of cocoa trees in the area. Some are not well managed and have a black fungus so the wasted pods fall to the ground along my way to school. But others are well maintained and I know a number of men who collect and process the beans. There is a large processing center or cooperative farther north on the island. Consolidation and cooperatives for local farmers is a good way to farmers to supply the market and obtain a fair price.

Cocoa fruit is produced year round.

Rough size of the pods.  The pods are typically cut and left to sit on the ground for some time.

After the fleshy seeds are extracted they are traditionally wrapped in banana leaves
or now in wooden boxes to ferment before being dried

After drying, the cocoa is stable and can be shipped to processors.
The general way to consume cocoa is in the form of cocoa balls, readily available in the market. These are whole bean cocoa which, after roasting, is ground and while still warm from the grinding formed into balls. Normal cocoa powder has had the cocoa butter removed so this is a bit different. My hot cocoa drink is generally grated cocoa, nutmeg, cinnamon and maybe some bay leaves along with sugar. The nutmeg is supposed to help bring on sleep.

Cocoa balls.
I’ve not seen, or at least recognized, cinnamon trees but I know they are around because a neighbor was processing it a few months ago.

The surface bark is first scrapped away.

The under layer is then peeled away.  I don't know why there is a bag with three loaves of bread

Sun drying the cinnamon.  The wood would be used for cooking or smoking food 

 Ginger grows rather easily here so you can readily get it in the market. If you don’t use so much it can begin to sprout and then I suppose one could grow it to see how the plant works.

Fresh ginger from market

My front flower box.
The taller plant is ginger with my drip irrigation system and a flower than has decided to start growing

 Another flavoring that is grown in the area is sorrel. People use it fresh or dry it. One of the women from church was drying some when I was walking by one day. The plants are talk and upright – similar to a thin stalk okra with a similar leaf. (Presuming everyone knows how okra grows. :-) 

So a single woody stalk maybe 4 feet tall with flowers along the stem. We had some growing behind the school, but I never took a picture of it.

After the sorrel is picked and cleaned it can be sun dried

One way to consume sorrel.  I understand there are other ways.
They also grow coffee here, something I would like to find as I recently read about roasting coffee in a caste iron skillet.

Love always,
John

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