Maluku · Maluku
Banda nutmeg
The Banda Islands in Maluku are where nutmeg originally grew, and for a long period they were the only place on earth it did. The nutmeg is registered as a geographical indication. Banda produces both nutmeg and mace, the red aril around the seed, from the same fruit.
A protected name.
Pala Kepulauan Banda
IG.00.2016.0000021
Registered for Maluku. Several other Indonesian nutmeg origins hold their own registrations, including Siau and Fakfak.
What makes it different.
- Myristica fragrans, the true nutmeg
- The species the world trade means by nutmeg. Papuan nutmeg from Fakfak is a different species with a different profile, and the two should not be substituted quietly.
- Two products from one fruit
- Nutmeg is the seed and mace is the red aril wrapped around it. They are dried separately, sold separately and priced very differently.
- Very remote
- Small islands with limited shipping, so lead times are long and lot sizes are modest. This is a speciality trade rather than a commodity one.
- Aflatoxin is the compliance issue
- Nutmeg is a crop European controls watch for mould toxins, and the answer lies in how the seed was dried and stored on the island.
Getting it out.
- Ambon then Surabaya
- Cargo moves by inter-island vessel to Ambon and onward to a container port. Two domestic legs before the ocean leg, and the schedule reflects it.
- Drying decides acceptance
- Humid islands and slow transport are a hard combination for a crop judged on mould. Ask how and where the lot was dried before it left.
What we source here.
Indonesian nutmeg and mace
The seed and the red lace around it are separate spices at separate prices. What to specify, and the aflatoxin question behind European entry.
Indonesian nutmeg oil
Why the growing region changes the composition, why safrole content is a regulatory question, and what a nutmeg oil contract should name.
Indonesian cloves
Indonesia grows more cloves than anyone and still imports them, because the domestic cigarette industry takes the crop. What that means for a spice buyer.
Export documents, by category
Four categories, four different sets of paperwork and almost no overlap. Built from the reference pages, so it cannot fall behind what is published.
Container loading and what actually fits
The cubic capacity figures in circulation disagree with each other. What really decides a load is weight, geometry and the carrier's own specification.
Questions buyers ask.
Is Banda nutmeg different from other Indonesian nutmeg?
It is the same species as the mainstream trade, Myristica fragrans, from the islands the crop originated on. What separates it commercially is the history and the scarcity. Fakfak nutmeg from West Papua, by contrast, is a genuinely different species and behaves differently in use.
Should I buy nutmeg and mace together?
They come from the same fruit and the same suppliers, so it is convenient. They are separate products with separate prices and separate specifications, and mace is much the dearer of the two. Contract them separately even when they travel together.
What is the main quality risk?
Mould, and the toxins that follow it. The islands are humid and the journey to a container port is slow, so drying and storage on the island decide whether a lot passes at destination. Ask for testing on the shipped material rather than a general assurance about the origin.
What does your service cost?
Five per cent of the order value, paid by you and never by the factory. A factory audit starts at $250 depending on location. We work with orders from $10,000 per shipment.
Buying from Banda Islands?
Tell us the specification and the port. We go to the region, look at the material and put the documents together before anyone quotes a price.
Sources
- 1Register of protected geographical indications. Direktorat Jenderal Kekayaan Intelektual, Republic of Indonesia. Checked 5 August 2026.