NUTMEG: The Horrible History Behind The Popular Spice

[@WeirdExplorer]

Thanks everyone who has been watching the channel over the years. And if you are new here, welcome. Here's a playlist of other episodes you may like: kzbin.info/aero/PLvGFkMrO1ZxJldWKpSAhhnxuPYVeCt8oj

[@xiraoit9342]

Durian?

[@rocketamadeus3730]

Thank you for all the work you've put in. Nobody else is documenting these fruits in such a publicly in depth way.

[@romanes_eunt_domus]

Dude I've been watching you for like 6-7 yrs now, I've learned so much! I can't thank you enough for all your hard work ❤

[@paulamccarthy9511]

@@xiraoit9342 Several videos about different species of Durian

[@jourdanbetsch5073]

Any chance you could tell me the name of the song that plays around 3-4 minutes in? It’s hauntingly beautiful.

[@lucazsy]

This video should get an award.

[@garycard1456]

Quality production. A lot of thought and effort (and time!) must have gone into it. It is the travelling to these fabulous tropical places and trying out the local food dishes that brings all the initial research to life.

[@kingkarlito]

when you hear him repeating drivel like spices were used to cover up spoiled food as a fact it really makes it hard to trust the rest of the 'facts' we hear in the doc.

[@Mrbfgray]

Not terrible for a soft city boy who doesn't consume proper protein.

[@anthony_mundane]

✋ Second that! Amazing story and video... Dudes reaching new heights pleasure to watch!!!

[@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369]

this is not a 1:31AM thing to watch for me, ill come back and give it the respect it deserves

[@WeirdExplorer]

Yeah this one is going to give you weird dreams. 😅

[@blargcoster]

@@WeirdExplorer 12:08 Yeah, it sure would.

[@JHaven-lg7lj]

Same here, I’m not in a place where I can watch right now but I’m so looking forward to this!

[@sahilbharti7047]

@@WeirdExplorer Spanish and Portuguese were under Muslim rule , you should have added.

[@YunxiaoChu]

…

[@kevinlemon3467]

This is such an amazing documentary. I teach for a living and I would love to show this to my students as a way to understand the humanity of the spice trade. History and geography is so often dry, boring stuff, but then you see this and it reminds you that everything in history is real, that it happened to real people and that the effects of that history are still being felt today. It makes it feel real. Thank you for making this.

[@WeirdExplorer]

So glad to hear it. The most amazing thing with this trip was seeing the places I was reading about come to life. I really wanted to share that experience

[@frostamatus]

I was once a young student. I can tell you... if I was under 18, the only thing I'd remember is Nutmeg is a hallucinogen! And the Dutch people were evil to the banded knees peoples...

[@reddixiecrat]

⁠​⁠@@WeirdExplorerI think something important that you missed is that the rise of the spice trade coincided with the rise of the sugar industry. Most of these spices were used in sweet porridges, drinks, and desserts. Portugal especially started sugar plantations on Madeira and the Cape Verde islands. This sugar plantation model was later spread to the Americas by the Portuguese and Spanish.

[@henryisnotafraid]

I friggin love this content. The depth that you go to, the length of the video, it's all what I'm here for! Reminds me of the old-fashioned history channel or Discovery. Just promise me you'll never do a segment on fruit from aliens 😉

[@WeirdExplorer]

well.. I do have some plans to review fruit that only exists in folklore and legends.. but I'll keep it on the level

[@acolyte1951]

You're nuts for creating such a worthwhile video. What a treat! (After watching the video, I am glad you had such an awesome adventure. I'm sure some historians and other people would love to have done something like this. Like a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' that most humans don't/can't ever do! As someone interested and invested in history, this is such a valuable video. Not only cause it mentions stuff from 400 years ago, but because there is so much atmosphere/flavor/texture that is both modern and old. 'Time goes by but the fruit tree still stands...' or something like that.)

[@WeirdExplorer]

Glad you liked it!

[@xiraoit9342]

I love nut

[@exmodusgaming]

This was a masterpiece of a video Jared. I am absolutely blown away.

[@acolyte1951]

Woah, this video is a real mix of a fruit review, historical overview, and a cultural documentary! Perhaps one of the best videos you've ever made. And a gem on youtube that's better than many movies!

[@frostamatus]

Agreed. Give this man a big munny Netflix deal.

[@ShamelessLainLover]

The quality content keeps coming :) I've been following you around 6-7 years and you're one of the best content creators ever. Actual content man. Please keep being a source of reference on fruit, since I don't think there's anyone out there who can replace you.

[@anthony_mundane]

👏 Well said

[@rahhmennoodles338]

Man, that's awesome that the Bandanese people were able to maintain their own authority of their island. It's nice to see an example of an indigenous people able to continue being sovereign over their own land up until today. Just imagine if other indigenous populations around the world were able to fight off western/eastern powers in the same way.

[@robertschnobert9090]

I agree that it's awesome, but sovereign indigenous people directly contradict capitalism. Our system depends on eternal economic growth. Indigenous people are a market to be conquered and exploited.

[@Loserfr]

Maybe your most beautiful work to date. Stunning (and sad) stories

[@endlessnameless7004]

Sobering and enlightening. Thank you for taking the time to film and put this together. You've gone way farther than most would ever dream.

[@Shiznittlebizbampop1]

I haven't finished the video. But I just wanted to say that I absolutely love your long form videos. I already know a fair amount of the history behind nutmeg, and as I can see from the videos title. It seems like you're ACTUALLY going to get into a lot of the details that most people don't know about. And I absolutely love that you're doing that/made this video.

[@gregregregregregregre]

Someone send this to Townsends!

[@beautyonabarnbudget]

Was just going to comment this-you beat me to it! 😜

[@Mrbfgray]

16:00 these death cults are bazar.

[@SoaringMoon]

@Townsends

[@BozackZodiack]

What a slamdunk of a video. That was super interesting, and perfectly fitting to what your channel is all about - so much more information than the typical superficial info videos you tend to find on KZbin these days. I loved it, thank you!!

[@dcpunk4]

This video turned out to be so much cooler than expected. What a great history lesson and a treat with all the views. Makes me want to make these trips myself.

[@lizoconnor2752]

Outstanding presenation Jared! So original! You should get an award for this.

[@loganlogon3720]

Your stop motion is fantastic! I swear there is nothing quite as magical as seeing someone take the time to frame by frame make these things!🤩

[@WeirdExplorer]

Wow, thank you! I am brand new to it. Still figuring it out as I go.

[@loganlogon3720]

@@WeirdExplorer You are very welcome!😄

[@hopegold883]

One of the few filmic techniques that isn’t ruined by knowing how the sausage is made.

[@benjaminrhodes9611]

This is a fascinating story. Thank you for expanding the scope of your exploration, to include the BIG picture. Incredible.

[@angst_]

Editing on this video is A++. Really loved the reverse fruit part at the beginning; it was nice bit of quick and attractive foreshadowing as you talked about the parts of the fruit in a reverse order, then you took us through the fruit outside-to-inside in more depth!

[@derghiarrinde]

Dude!!! Another amazing long video. I am going to stop it now and watch it with my son later! I am so glad you're doing this. Great job!

[@WeirdExplorer]

So happy to hear it. Thanks

[@VPCh.]

This was truly an incredible documentary on nutmeg and more importantly, on the history of it. Given the complex and often horrific past of it, I'm glad that it got a deeper dive into the topic to tell the full story. Thanks for putting in such an incredible amount of work into making this, this is a lot higher quality than many documentaries done by full crews from billion dollar companies.

[@multiplysixbynine]

Wow. This is a real tour de force! I appreciate your sensitivity as you center the people while discussing their difficult experiences.

[@juliag.7898]

this is amazing! I was sad about the history and what happened to the original Banda people, and then you did part 3 on the Kei islands!😃, thank you for telling this story❤

[@ryanpena610]

So happy to have been able to see this awesome movie in person. Thank you so much Jared for sharing the candied nutmeg with everyone! Keep up the amazing work.

[@WeirdExplorer]

Thanks for coming out Ryan! Nice meeting you :)

[@ekonurcahyo9759]

what an excellent video you made! you even go back to Banda the second time. cheers from Indonesia!

[@acolyte1951]

35:09 "I hope you all appreciate the things that I do for this channel everybody." Indeed, indeed we do. *sips fancy drink from the comfort of a room*

[@ashtoncoolley4808]

Gosh darn you knocked it out of the park with this one, thank you

[@KilanEatsandDrinks]

Hey! What were you doing in my neck of the woods at 34:15 there? People flying to eastern Indonesia usually transit through Makassar, not Banjarmasin. For a moment, I got my hopes up, thinking you might have done a video in my hometown in the Indonesian province of South Kalimantan! 😆 Anyway, this is such a great video about the origin and history of nutmeg. It’s fascinating yet bittersweet because, sadly, most people today barely know about the Spice Islands (Maluku), unlike the old days when Western powers were fighting over them. As an Indonesian, I find it such a shame; not just because of the lost historical awareness but also because visiting these islands is still expensive and complicated, even for us. That’s unfortunate because Maluku is breathtakingly beautiful, with so much history waiting to be explored, from the old forts left behind by the Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch to the local culture that has endured through the centuries. I really loved how you traced the Bandanese people’s journey all the way to the Kei Islands. That’s a perspective we don’t often hear about. And when you were in Malaysia, the nutmeg products you tried were great, but they leaned more toward the modern adaptations made by the ethnic Chinese community there. Discovering how the Bandanese people themselves use nutmeg in their cuisine? Now, that’s something truly special and unique. Cheers to your adventures! Looking forward to seeing where you take us next. Keep it up! 🍻

[@animeleepocket7984]

DUDE THIS WAS AMAZING! I had NO idea about any of this besides footnotes, this was an incredible spotlight. If not for this, maybe many of us wouldn't know. Thanks, man. Thanks so much, this video is my absolute favourite of yours. I can feel the effort and reverence for everything, the gravity and the highs and lows.

[@ssnochevy]

You're the real deal...greatly appreciate the effort it took to put this together....going to rewatch with my gf too. Peace

[@rich1051414]

I like nutmeg because it has a very specific flavor that seems to change whether it's put on savory or sweet things. I totally understand why it was so sought after when spices were expensive and rare. Mace is a bit like cinnamon, a bit like black pepper.

[@Eighthplanetglass]

Wow. Excellent video.. it had so much more living history than I ever expected

[@bertiecurlynoodie]

What a beautiful documentary. You really went above and beyond on this one, thank you. My heart goes out to the beautiful people who are the descendants of those who fled the genocide. I wish there were a way they could be repatriated to their homeland if that’s what they wanted for themselves.

[@TylerDollarhide]

I'm glad to see that the Banda islands don't look too urbanized. After learning about how Madagascar is seeing massive deforestation, I was a tad worried that these islands might have had a lot of land cleared out because of the spice trade. It does help that because nutmeg comes from the fruit, there is a big incentive to *not* cut down the trees.

[@WeirdExplorer]

Yeah! There is a lot of deforestation throughout Indonesia, mostly to grow palm oil. But the areas I visited in the Maluku islands didn't seem effected by it so much.

[@Nicholas-qe8so]

I'm looking forward to this!!! Let's GOOOO!

[@FugalQuease]

loving your long format work. Well done!

[@pandanke]

Thank you for your thorough documentaries, even those that travel well beyond what your original scope.

[@Sergei_WHY]

This is an awesome documentary, thank you, Jared!

[@mcdoublejesus2357]

the reverse video there from the well known seed to the fruit was clean af. well done

[@ClubCovertLondon]

Very very well done. Got my full attention once the history kicked in. Brilliantly told even though its so horrific to know where to begin. My heart went out to the village chief who was asked his name but told the whole history by his reaction. Enough said.

[@FauxNii]

Congratulations on reaching another milestone episode, Jared! I can't thank you enough for introducing me to an incredible variety of fruits that I never even knew existed before discovering your channel. Your videos not only expand my knowledge of different fruits but also provide fascinating insights into their histories and the cultures they come from. Wishing you continued success and looking forward to the next 100 episodes (and many more beyond!)!

[@jamiewashere]

Great video, nicely produced and put together. Bravo Jared

[@xenomorph9135]

you really thought no one would notice your superpowers at the 58 second mark?

[@JamesChurchill3]

Only he has the secret combination of weird fruits needed to obtain such powers.

[@jon2679]

I mean putting all that stuff back on is way harder than playing the peeling process in reverse😂

[@mortonbaychestnut4072]

Another excellent update! Many thanks

[@mariakapari]

I like a lot this video! Great job! Thanks for the journey and Merry Christmas!

[@griigorihabii]

An almost 2h documentary by Weird Explorer about my favorite psychoactive spice at 12am? hell yeah, dude

[@brandondumont7223]

At the end of the video what are you apologizing for you did great, you brought some awareness and attention to some history thats not often taught all the while doing your normal fruit video this is what i would call going "above and beyond".

[@liquidfur2]

I'm amazed at how much your content has evolved over time. I've always enjoyed your videos, but kudos to you! This one is very well done!

[@brucetidwell7715]

Wow! What a fascinating story. That was amazing and so well made. Thank you! And congratulations on your 800th video.

[@aersla1731]

Amazing video. It deserves much more love. ❤ I didn't expect it to get so heavy but I knew it would once I saw the logo for the dutch east india company. Sadly colonization is still going on. From a descendant of colonized people it's important to preserve cultures and languages as much as possible, for future generations. I always admire indigenous people that despite all odds have managed to preserve their culture and native tongue. It's also important to not forget the history of these people, not just from the perspective of the colonizers.

[@singagency1481]

Thank you for spelling Malacca, Melacca. It sounds much better now.

[@aproticferret]

Amazing work. Thank you for your wonderful research on the subject!

[@blancdespair7678]

what an interesting video, even though it almost a movie long but it felt like only half an hour. Your channel is seriously underrated for the work and effort you've put in.

[@kamranki]

What a film! So much depth. Keep it up, you're the best! And while you're at it, please fly down to Pakistan in July for mango season! 😁

[@Thehighpriestess108]

This is So incredibly beautiful Jared! Thank you for creating this and for introducing us to the amazing Banda people!

[@Andre-Nader]

Genuinely learned so much. Thank you for investing so much of your time for this story. Beautifully and respectfully done. Also loved the nutmeg shaved transitions.

[@sirearlgrey2036]

I have a few things I want to comment on: 1) I had to spend a night in Newark airport once. It might or might not be the worst airport in the world, but it's the worst I've been through. There is hostile architecture inside the airport terminals, after security. Why? It's an airport, god forbid people be tired while traveling and want to lay down. The food prices are absolutely insane too. We're talking $15 for even a small self-checkout grab-and-go coldcut sandwich. 2) I'm enjoying the effort put into the interstitials. More of that, please. 3) The way you're pronouncing Melacca is funny to me because I know a bit of Greek and it sounds exactly like the common Greek insult μαλακα (malaka) 4) I appreciate that you're teaching the untold history here. That's the sort of thing I'm always eager to hear more about.

[@AdamRapW]

I once visited Grenada on an adventure vacation, with the goal of experiencing a cacao farm and meeting a local chocolate producer. Walking down the road, I saw these large trees with split "peaches" that had dark red centers. Then I saw baskets full of, what I would later learn was mace, drying in the sun. I thought they looked like alien brains. What a cool plant....and now I know, not so cool history.

[@WeirdExplorer]

Cool! I would love to go to Grenada sometime, nutmeg is such an important part of their cuisine there.

[@AdamRapW]

@@WeirdExplorer It's a surprisingly quick flight from NYC. You'd get a kick out of riding across the island on their "buses," which are really just vans that have been converted to have as many seats as possible. The people and culture are beautiful. I went to the Grenada Chocolate Company. The founder had a whole collection of youtube videos, and I was hoping to meet him, but it turned out he passed away after falling off a ladder. I learned that after arriving and asking if it was possible to meet him. But now the company is locally owned and operated, and you can taste the fresh chocolate as it comes out of the molds. It's the best chocolate I've ever had, and tasted like bananas. The streets around the farm and chocolate factory (really just a house) are lined with cocoa trees and nutmeg. Hopefully hurricane Beryl didn't decimate the area this past June.

[@Sulq]

Stunningly good video, you really have grown as a documentarist. Thanks for the years of great videos! And thanks for visiting finland! Man, would I have loved to show you some of my favourite cloudberry picking places :D.

[@hellokittysays6333]

I REALLY wish you'd pursued that angle at the end more. I went from thinking "basic content creator" to "potentially award winning" and "consequential for world history". I hope this draws attention to that issue. I like plants. That's why I clicked on it. But that would have been a beautiful surprise of a twist ending. If you're making documentaries, please don't be afraid to go where the story takes you. That's how the best stories are told.

[@andrewdunbar828]

I would love a channel like this that explored for languages rather than fruit.

[@jamestboehm6450]

What a most interesting video. I use a good bit of nutmeg in my baking. Now i appreciate the spice even more. Thank you for the information.

[@wdwerker]

I love that a curiosity about the spice lead to a excellent story about the people who grew it and defended themselves until it was prudent that they move to save themselves. I’ve liked nutmeg and mace for many years and have a deeper appreciation of it now. Many thanks and best wishes to the Bandanese people.

[@nicoyazawa5195]

Brilliantly put together video Jared! This was such an interesting journey learning the history of Nutmeg production and of the Wandan people was fascinating and emotional. Thank you for capturing this footage and these conversations. And for adding some humor in along the way of course!

[@deelowe3]

Holy cow! You made a full documentary!!

[@vita.miinii]

why can't our teacher teach history as interesting as this 😢

[@livelongplayhard]

This is Great!!!!! Please, do more!!!

[@espenschjelderup426]

Thank you for all the effort in making this documentary. There's so much important history here we need to remember for the future.

[@Hortifox_the_gardener]

Damn - that eerie Angel Hare Music with the airport footage.

[@Ari-jj9op]

Splendid! Living vicariously through you.

[@frankmacleod2565]

Awesome, I've been looking forward to this. See how long it takes you to mention Jon Townsend

[@mushroomsamba82]

3:30 dead mall vibe and creepy background music, that a nod to Dan Bell?

[@WeirdExplorer]

Yep!

[@greatnate29]

An amazing video. Thanks.

[@singagency1481]

Thank you for introducing Canarium sp. as well. Not sure which species.

[@IACJLD]

RAD! Great Video and Congrats on your full feature premiere!

[@MandlyL]

Fun fact: nutmeg has psychotropic (and worse at higher doses) effects if you eat too much of it. Found this out the hard way when I made some wassail and dropped too many nutmeg seeds in the spice bag.

[@rocketamadeus3730]

Yes! More long form content, please

[@mahdimuhib]

Beautiful Video

[@10siWhiz]

One of your best works yet. Your adventures were worth every bit of effort!

[@RomulusMaya]

Although Fort "Nassau" was being built by the Portuguese it was for sure - if not completed and used - at least named by the Dutch. "Nassau" is part of the Orange-Nassau branch that became then and till this day is the Royal Family of the Netherlands (and also Belgium). During the "Portuguese"/ Dutch war that you mention (Portugal was actually in personal union with Spain then and it was from Habsburg Spain (not Portugal per se) that the Dutch were fighting for independence), the Dutch also invaded the then Portuguese colony of Brazil in the Americas and Prince Maurice of Nassau was sent there as Governor General during the Dutch occupation. A "Fort Nassau" was built there. There's also another "Fort Nassau" in the Bahamas for the same reason. The Hudson River in NY was called "Mauritius River" by the Dutch and the name was also used for the island nation in the Indic Ocean with the same name. Congrats on this high quality, well edited and touching documentary. I love the whole fruit exploring/ contortionist side but here we were able to see even more of the human being/ part-time ethnologist. Congrats 🙏

[@Faustobellissimo]

Sorry Jared, but... From Wikipedia: "It is often claimed that spices were used either as food preservatives or to mask the taste of spoiled meat, especially in the European Middle Ages. This is false. In fact, spices are rather ineffective as preservatives as compared to salting, smoking, pickling, or drying, and are ineffective in covering the taste of spoiled meat. Moreover, spices have always been comparatively expensive: in 15th century Oxford, a whole pig cost about the same as a pound of the cheapest spice, pepper. There is also no evidence of such use from contemporary cookbooks: "Old cookbooks make it clear that spices weren't used as a preservative. They typically suggest adding spices toward the end of the cooking process, where they could have no preservative effect whatsoever." Indeed, Cristoforo di Messisbugo suggested in the 16th century that pepper may speed up spoilage. Though some spices have antimicrobial properties in vitro, pepper-by far the most common spice-is relatively ineffective, and in any case, salt, which is far cheaper, is also far more effective." The most popular explanation for the love of spices in the Middle Ages is that they were used to preserve meat from spoiling, or to cover up the taste of meat that had already gone off. This compelling but false idea constitutes something of an urban legend, a story so instinctively attractive that mere fact seems unable to wipe it out... Anyone who could afford spices could easily find meat fresher than what city dwellers today buy in their local supermarket.

[@Oubliettedweller]

Wow Jared you've really outdone yourself with this one. Been watching your videos for 10 years and this feels like the apex of what you've been working towards, starting with that one video on baobabs your ability to genuinely connect with people in different places and share history from their perspective is truly special. I didn't know about the bandanese people before this video, but now I care a lot about them. The historical aspects of these fruits and spices we take for granted today is something more people should know about. Thank you!

[@fbt2007]

Wow! Just Wow! An absolutely wonderful video, Jared. Loved the journey. I especially loved your storytelling and thoughtfulness toward the Bandanese people.👏👏👏

[@JonHop1]

Really well done Jared. You put in a ton of work here and it shows. Hard work really does pay off. Thank you for all that you do! We appreciate you!... Also, Have a great Holiday Jared. I wish you and your family best wishes this Christmas and Holiday season!

[@TheWeirdestOfBugs]

Bravo, Jared!

[@WeirdExplorer]

thanks so much

[@SpinoCzarabc]

Hey jared, long time veiwer, so so happy to see you expanding into issues like this. These long form documentaries are great, and really useful films. Love your stuff so much, please keep making it.

[@12BKLmySHOO]

Great video!

[@alexandersmith4796]

Absolutely fantastic video.

[@reilea9977]

Dude, how long did it take you to do that beginning of the red part falling off nutmeg!!!!! You had to have moved the peeling and stopped the camera a "million" times!!! By the way, this is a really cool video on nutmeg, you went all out on this one!!!!!

[@WeirdExplorer]

That took one longgg day. The trickiest thing was keeping track of all the moving parts in each shot. Move both drips, the mace falling off the nut, the pool at the bottom, click and repeat. @guldies was a useful channel since he had some examples of doing stop motion isolated in the air

[@HalleGardens]

Excited to watch! Thanks for the upload

[@HowlettHill]

I still can't believe you aren't over 1 million subscribers yet!

[@LittleGrayMouse]

What a wonderful and informative video!

[@acccardone7679]

This video was a beautifully touching history and celebration of the Bandanese people. As you said, history is written by the winners. But, when there are survivors who are able to share the rest of the story... As a hobbiest historian, I want to hear the story from the victims' side, since, in history there is often more truth to be found in the victims' stories. I am glad some of the Bandanese people were able to escape and share their stories. As always, thank you for sharing your videos. You have a knack of digging out interesting stories and details on even the simplest of fruits. And, this video... Wow!

[@SwowChowsk]

You are the Mr. Rogers of fruit. And I mean that with as much warmth and sincerity as my cynical heart can manage.

[@akshatjain2775]

I was waiting for this for so long!

[@ferdisb4070]

This is excellent!

[@Lu_Woods]

Wow...This will be fun. Thanks !!

[@eyeNVyou]

Beautiful video, subject to scenery. Congrats on 800 strong, bud.

[@marshafrank7427]

Great documentary, fun & very educational. Love that you always carry cat treats for your accidental kitty friends.

[@WeirdExplorer]

In Jakarta I saw signs for designated "cat feeding areas". My kind of city