Question 1

Why was nutmeg once worth more than gold?

Accepted Answer

Nutmeg grew only on the tiny Banda Islands in Indonesia, and Europeans believed it could ward off the plague. That combination of a single source and desperate demand pushed its price to hundreds of times its cost, making it more valuable by weight than gold in the 1500s and 1600s.

Question 2

Did the Dutch really trade Manhattan for a nutmeg island?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Under the Treaty of Breda in 1667, England surrendered the nutmeg-bearing island of Run in the Banda archipelago, and in exchange kept New Amsterdam, the Dutch colony on Manhattan that became New York City.

Question 3

Is nutmeg poisonous in large amounts?

Accepted Answer

Nutmeg is safe in normal cooking quantities, but it contains myristicin, which is toxic in excess. Consuming a tablespoon or more can cause nausea, a racing heart, disorientation, and hallucinations lasting many hours, effects documented in medical case reports.

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The Nut That Cost Manhattan