Please pass the nutmeg

I have a proposal, and I know that to write this proposal is to create shockwaves the likes of which the spice world has never seen.

I propose that nutmeg become a condiment on every table in the world. As common as salt or pepper.

I will allow a brief pause for you to readjust your thinking.

I know this is radical spice thinking, but when you break it down it doesn't seem so radical at all.If you haven't tasted nutmeg before, it has a sweet and somewhat spicy taste. And of course as its name suggests, there's some nuttiness in there as well. But it's not so much how nutmeg tastes, it's what it does that makes it amazing. For one, it's good for digestion, which might suggest why it is a nice complement to eggnog year after year. It is also recommended for bad breath. And fevers. And headaches. Most of our nutmeg learnings come the Chinese who used it as an appetite stimulant, an anti-inflammatory agent, an anti-spasmodic and a carminative. And best of all, nutmeg has also been known to be an aphrodisiac.

Of course, there are drawbacks. Too much nutmeg may cause hallucinations.

So what do you say spice lovers? Dust off that old bottle of nutmeg and put it front and center on the table. Sprinkle some on your steak or dust it on your fries. Better yet, use it in your next soup. Its time nutmeg rose to the greatness it once saw in the twelfth century.

And as always, here's hoping you're having a spicy day.