Indonesian Nutmeg 'Pala' Plant Essential to European Population

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Indonesia is a nation blessed with insurmountable supply of natural resources. So, it is not surprising to see the archipelago country targeted as the primary subject to Dutch colonialism from the first half 16^th through to the 19^th century following Portuguese exploration in and around the area of Indonesia's eastern dominion.

One of the many natural resources available that has evidently attracted the first batch of European colonial powers to Indonesia was the nutmeg plant.

The spice was immediately transformed from merely a simple fruit growing on a tree with supportive humidity level to globally acknowledged and valued commodity.

The spice's prominence has helped Indonesia (formerly known as Dutch East Indies) to become a thriving trading destination hundreds of years ago despite its terribly distinct social, political and economic patterns at that particular time.

To this day, Indonesian nutmeg plant popularity continues to show a positive trend with escalating demand from Europe. 

The European Union Head of Cooperation to Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam and ASEAN, Minister Franck Viault confirmed such notion and shared how nutmeg plant attractiveness stays to this day and will continue to play a determining role in the trade and bilateral relationship between Indonesia and countries of European Union.

"Nutmeg plant is one of the spices that we all use around the world, including the European Union. It has a very long history which can also be linked to the colonization era and to the early economic development of this part of the world," Minister Franck said to Liputan6.com during his Trade Support Programme II trip with the Indonesian delegations, Ministry of Agriculture and Trade Ministry at Siau Island, North Sulawesi on Thursday, 24 of June 2015.

It may not be surprising to see Indonesia's attractiveness with its abundant natural resources capable of drawing in nations with imperial ambition and parochial interest effortlessly, but it is surely a surprise to know that only a considerable portion of the Indonesian population truly acknowledge the spice's values.

Some of these individuals familiarity to nutmeg plant however, only go as far as understanding it as an important ingredient for cooking.

Minister Franck furthered such notion by claiming that not only in Indonesia, but also the European population similarly view the nutmeg plant as merely cooking essentials.

"Almost all countries in Europe importing Indonesian nutmeg with big economies such as Germany and Italy as the main market. But you can surely find nutmeg plant in the kitchen of all European citizens," Minister Franck informed.

Very few appreciates or at least acknowledges its intrinsic values and important usage which range from becoming the subject for culinary usage, medicinal purpose, cosmetic industry to becoming the determinant factor dictating the success and progress of trade and economic exchanges between Indonesia and importing countries.

It is clear that nutmeg plant plays a significant role in various sectors.

"Indonesia is by far the largest nutmeg producer in the world, the largest exporter to the European market. So, naturally in the future, there should be no reason for the European nutmeg plant demand from Indonesia to diminish," Minister Franck concluded. (Akp/Ein)