mace whole

It is commonly found in spice blends and baked goods, as well as savory dishes like soups, sauces, and poultry and fish recipes. The "mace" that is used as a defensive pepper spray has no relationship to the spice.
Mace's flavor is sweet, woody, and warm, with a mild pungent kick, very much like nutmeg but softer and not quite as sweet. The taste of mace can also be described as a combination of cinnamon and pepper.

Add it to a dry spice mix, incorporate it into a recipe, or sprinkle it on top of sweets, porridge, or beverages in a similar manner to ground nutmeg.

Mace blades are easy to grind, either with a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Gently roasting the blades and let them cool off prior to grinding wakes up the essential oils for a more fragrant spice and helps prevent the oils from clogging a spice grinder. Mace blades should be toasted in a dry pan, just until crispy and fragrant; it's common to toast other whole spices like cardamom and cloves at the same time.
Besides being used as a flavoring agent, mace has been also used in traditional medicine for alleviating diverse digestive issues, from excessive gas to upset stomach and diarrhea, but there is little evidence of its effectiveness. One study did find preliminary evidence that extracts from nutmeg and mace have antioxidant properties and may help reduce inflammation.