The sweet, aromatic flavour of nutmeg has been highly prized since Roman times and together with pepper, ginger and cinnamon was one of the principle commodities of the early spice trade. Nutmeg is widely used in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Indian cooking. It is used in baking and to flavour milk based desserts and sauces as well as in savoury dishes. It is usually used finely ground and occasionally in a kibbled form.

Sesame seed has a fresh, nutty flavour and is widely used as a bread topping. It also makes an interesting garnish to salad and vegetable dishes. Ground sesame seed is the principal ingredient in tahini.