Mace (Myristica fragrans) - mace comes from the same fruit as the nutmeg ;it is the scarlet skin, or aril, which surrounds the nutmeg seed. Once removed,it is flattenned and dried, becoming quite brittle. This time-consuming processto produce what are called 'blades of mare', and the finer flavour of theproduct, makes this spice much more expensive of the nutmeg, although theflavour of the two is similar. Because it is rather expensive, ground mace isoften adulterted and, like most spices, tends to lose its potency quickly.