PENANG - FRESHEST NUTMEG JUICE

with CK Lam, Taukwa and Uncle Smart

Lam Ah Kopi Tiam
194 Lebuh Pantai10300 Pulau PinangTel: 04-2613984Business Hours: 10am to 4.30pmClose: Sunday and Public Holiday
It was unimaginable for me to enjoy nutmegs as it is more commonly known for its products of nutmeg oil, good for its application for stomach rub and its efficacy to rid the "wind" (flatulence) or the pickled preserved nutmeg that I still dont really fancy. Penang is widely associated with nutmeg as any tourist would lugged back souvenirs of preserved nutmegs, cordial drinks or the nutmeg balm and oil and you can identify easily that he has just been to this beautiful island.

Whilst we head to Lam Ah Kopi Tiam for the popular "gu back koay teow" or beef noodles, I innocently ordered fresh nutmeg drink and it's literally freshly cut and blended on the spot. A bag of nutmegs evidently on display on the table tells you it is no cordial or concentrate drinks from the bottle, nothing but pure fresh juice.

I ordered one glass and it was a rare treat. A sip threw me in disbelief that the drink is really fresh, fragrant, not too sweet and certainly very refreshing and "kam" that we had more orders thereafter after having the first wonderful new sensation that we experienced. The taste is so unlike the preserved nutmegs and it stands out as a winning thirst-quenching drink for my table. It is unbelievably good and in our next few stops, I could not get back the same drink again as others just provide the syrup instead. Alas fresh nutmeg juice is not commonly found!


To make the juice, first you need a hardy duty juicer as the fruit is fibrous. You may wish to add mace, which is the pinkish membrane or blades that formed around the seed, as this makes the drink a more effective remedy for cough. The mace itself has a flavour of cinnamon and pepper and is supposedly more pungent than the nutmeg but the drink is very light and not overbearing strong in taste.


However, it is claimed that consuming too much fresh nutmeg as little as 3 nutmegs may cause hallucination, nausea, vomitting, so watch out for that myristicine, a substance contained in nutmeg which causes such narcotic side effect.





Nevertheless I enjoyed the fresh nutmeg juice very much that on my way back to the airport, I directed the driver to deviate and stop for me to have one more drink (definitely addictive) but fortunateLY or unfortunately, the shop was closed on a Sunday.
Now I have 3 cordial bottles of nutmeg syrup at home to cure my indigestion and/or flatulence after having such a huge appetite in Penang devouring the best it offers.








I SPY A NUTMEG DRINK IN PENANG ! BEST !