North Maluku · Maluku
Dukono nutmeg
Dukono nutmeg comes from North Halmahera in North Maluku, registered in its own right and grown on the same island group that supplies the registered clove origin. It is the same species as Banda nutmeg and a separate protected name.
A protected name.
Pala Dukono Halmahera Utara
IG.00.2018.0000011
Registered for North Maluku. It takes its name from Mount Dukono, one of the most persistently active volcanoes in Indonesia.
What makes it different.
- Myristica fragrans
- The same species as Banda and Siau, so it is a true nutmeg rather than the Papuan species. That matters commercially and it is the first thing to establish on any nutmeg order.
- Volcanic ground, active
- Mount Dukono erupts persistently, which gives the soil and occasionally interrupts life on the island. It is worth knowing when planning a season from one origin.
- Grown alongside cloves
- North Maluku is the registered clove origin as well, so the same smallholders and the same collectors often handle both. A buyer of one can usually reach the other.
- Drying is the quality question
- Humid islands, slow transport and a crop judged on mould. How the seed was dried before it left decides acceptance more than anything downstream.
Getting it out.
- Ternate, then onward
- Inter-island movement to Ternate and then to a container port. Two domestic legs before the ocean one.
- Consolidation is normal
- Village-scale output suits pallets rather than containers, so nutmeg from here usually travels with other compatible dry goods.
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.
One container, several producers
What can share a container and what cannot, why regulatory documents never merge into one set, and the five steps that make it work.
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.
Questions buyers ask.
How does Dukono compare with Banda?
Same species, separate registered origins, similar logistics challenges. Banda carries the history and the name recognition. Dukono is a working origin with volume alongside the clove trade, and for a buyer the processor matters more than either name.
Does the volcano affect supply?
Dukono is persistently active and it has disrupted the area before. On a crop bought from one origin, that is a reason to have a second registered origin qualified rather than a reason to avoid it.
Can I buy nutmeg and cloves together?
Often, because the same islands produce both and the same collectors handle them. Whether they can travel in one container depends on the destination's document requirements rather than on the packing, which is worth confirming before planning.
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 North Halmahera?
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.