Mace absolute

Warm spice, fresh nutmeg, dried orange peel, sweet wood. Softer and rounder than mace oil; the drydown shows a light floral, a mushroom-like note and a powdery tone.

Mace absolute has no dedicated standard in the IFRA 51 index. It can contain safrole; IFRA limits total safrole, isosafrole and dihydrosafrole to 0.01 percent in finished products. In the EU safrole is in Annex II, tolerated only at the level naturally present in essences and not above 100 ppm in the finished product.

Methyl eugenol, if present, is under an IFRA restriction standard (2023) and Annex III limits in the EU. Eugenol is IFRA-restricted (2023) and an EU-labelled allergen above threshold.

Myristicin and elemicin are characteristic constituents; producers should hold a certificate of analysis for each lot. Store dark, sealed and cool.

The nutmeg tree gives two spices from one fruit. The seed is nutmeg. The red, lace-like aril wrapped around the seed is mace. After separation the aril is dried and turns orange or yellow-brown.

The tree is native to the Banda Islands in Maluku, Indonesia. Indonesia remains a large source; Grenada in the Caribbean, India (Kerala) and Sri Lanka also produce. Fruits ripen and are picked in several rounds through the year.

The absolute is made by extracting the dried aril with an organic solvent, then washing with alcohol and chilling to remove waxes and fats. It keeps more of the heavy fraction than the oil, so the odour is rounder and longer-lasting. French producers and major fragrance distributors list this material.

Mace differs from nutmeg by its softness and orange-peel note. Levels of sabinene, myristicin and safrole vary by region: East Indian and West Indian sources are usually distinguished in trade.

In perfumery mace absolute is used in small amounts for warm spice in fougères, woods, tobacco and gourmand accords. It pairs well with clove, cinnamon, tonka and patchouli.