Natural Ecstasy Produced From Nutmeg Seeds Is Rarely Known

Adventure to an Island That Makes Europeans Drunk on Ecstasy 

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Banda Naira, which is famous for its nutmeg plants, this native plants until the 18th century became the only producer of the best quality nutmeg in the world. The Banda Islands have been visited by merchants from India, China, Arabia, and Malay for centuries before the arrival of Europeans. Crystal clear sea with a variety of life is the meeting point of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The Banda Sea is also famous for having the deepest trench reaching 7,440 meters, the second deepest trench in Indonesia after the Java Trench. 

Fenced by hills and volcanoes It is located at 5°43 – 6°31 South Latitude and 129°44 -130°04 southeast of Ambon, the capital of Maluku. The Banda Islands are a remote sub-district surrounded by wide seas, which can be reached in 6-7 hours by motorboat or a one- hour flight by Twin Otter plane from Patimura airport, Ambon. Despite its remote location, the Banda Islands have a natural charm that is no less interesting than other islands around it. In addition, the Banda Islands have a colonial historical heritage with a long record that is closely related to the main crop, namely nutmeg. 

The fragrance of Nutmeg, the magical fruit that bursts from a remote island in the middle of the far eastern ocean, spreads to all corners of the world. Nutmeg as a food flavoring is well known, nutmeg as a medicine has also been recognized. But only few understand the content of natural hallucinogenic substances in nutmeg: Myristicin. Consume a 1-2 mg myristicin per kg body weight enough to give a deep ecstasy effect.

The Banda Islands nutmeg is indeed miraculously able to make outside traders drunk on ecstasy, They kill each other, shed blood, and detonate their cannons to destroy their rivals. Presumably true long-term effects of ecstasy on a person can experience brain poisoning and emotional disturbances. 

Is there anyone in their right mind who can slaughter 14,000 people consisting of farmers, and traders, ranging in age from children to the elderly to women. History records that it was carried out on the orders of a Dutch General Governor JP. Coen. What is wrong with farmers if they sell their nutmeg crops to other traders at a reasonable price, not at the price the Governor-General emphasized. And the public should know that JP. Coen is considered a hero in the Netherlands. He was long considered a national hero in the Netherlands.

The plant that produces nutmeg is a type of hardwood tree Myristica fragrans, its height can reach between 5 – 20 meters. The nutmeg tree that grows in the Banda islands can be up to tens of years old, it begins to produce fruit after the nutmeg tree is about 9 years old. Once fruitful, the nutmeg tree will produce fruit throughout the year and continue for the rest of its life, so nutmeg farmers in the Banda Islands usually harvest it 3 times a year. 

How long did the Dutch hold a monopoly at prices that stifled farmers in the nutmeg trade in the Banda islands? For more than three centuries the Dutch gripped the island of Banda with poisonous fangs and sucked the blood of nutmeg farmers until they became poor. Between the 15th and the mid-18th centuries, the Dutch enjoyed the benefits of trading commodities produced by their colonies in the archipelago to build their country's empire. “The Dutch built their empire with corporate colonialism by conducting the East Indies and the West Indies companies”. 

Of the many nutmeg trees that grow, there are some male trees not produce fruit, but the male trees are still useful for pollinating the flowers of the female nutmeg tree. The difference between male seeds and female seeds is that the male seeds have a tapered part at one corner, while the female seeds look round without a tapered bulge. 

Image Source: Antarafoto.com

Nutmeg harvested by picking is an old nutmeg marked with yellow skin, the ripe nutmeg will open and reveal the seeds wrapped in red mace (fuli). All parts of the nutmeg have economic value, from the flesh, mace, especially the seeds. To obtain high-quality nutmeg seeds, it is necessary to dry the nutmeg seeds under the sun for approximately 7-8 weeks. Nutmeg seeds whose drying process is not perfect will be overgrown with aflatoxin fungi which will make the quality of the nutmeg seeds fall. 

The growth process of the nutmeg tree begins with germination which takes between 10 -12 weeks, and the polybags are transferred to the enlargement area after the seedlings are 12 months old. The ratio of planting male and female seedlings in the enlargement area is 1: 8, i.e. one male seedling and eight female seedlings. 

This nutmeg plant is spread over seven islands from the Banda Naira archipelago, namely: islands of Gunungapi, Banda Besar (Lontar), Banda Neira, Hatta, Ay, Rhun, and Syahrir.

Image Source: Google.com

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