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The Dutch killed fifteen thousand people for a spice you barely use. Here is what nutmeg actually cost. #NutmegHistory #BandaIslands #SpiceTrade #VOC #FoodHistory #ColonialHistory #Bluesky #Flipboard

beestrot.comThe Spice Trade Killed More People Than Most Wars. Nutmeg Was the Reason the Dutch Massacred an Entire Island.Nutmeg grew in only one place on earth. In 1621, the Dutch East India Company decided to own that place completely. What happened to the fifteen thousand people who already lived there is one of the most brutal stories in the history of food, and almost nobody tells it at the dinner table.

27/10/26, 2:39 pm1 repost5 likes

𝕊𝕜𝕖𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟

@skepticalsinik.bsky.social

Great article! 👏 Yes, the VOC was as evil as any company has ever gotten, and it's important we remember these dark parts of history, especially when it involves something commonplace we take for granted now.

𝕊𝕜𝕖𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟

@skepticalsinik.bsky.social

Having said that... I LOVE nutmeg! Such an underrated and underutilized spice. And certainly not just for pie! In fact, I nearly exclusively use it in savoury dishes. Besides the obvious Indian and Middle Eastern stuff... I make a lovely ragù alla ferrarese pasta sauce with loads of nutmeg 😙👌✨️

Beestrot 👨‍🍳

@beestrot.com

I got used to it as a kid with my mom grating this nutmeg on top of mashed potatoes or sauce béchamel. 😋

𝕊𝕜𝕖𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟

@skepticalsinik.bsky.social

Oh, same here! Steamed cauliflower with browned butter and nutmeg was one of my mom's go-to dishes for us.

Beestrot 👨‍🍳

@beestrot.com

Thanks! Alex here, I will forward your message to JL.

𝕊𝕜𝕖𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟

@skepticalsinik.bsky.social

Excellent, thank you!

Beestrot 👨‍🍳

@beestrot.com

🟢 The Dutch traded Manhattan for a nutmeg island and thought they got the better deal. This reminds me of Napoleon and Louisiana.

PlanetCarnival

@planetcarnival.bsky.social

Connecticut is known as the Nutmeg State, but not because the spice was ever produced there. Rather, itinerant pedlars from there sometimes sold counterfeit "nutmeg" which turned out to be wood. Coincindentally, Connecticut has more NY Yankees fans than any New England State. 🧐