Nutmeg Grater, 1840-1860

Nutmeg comes from the seed of an evergreen tree native to the Spice Islands of Indonesia. The spice was once highly prized and expensive, but by the mid-1800s, nutmeg was readily obtainable and affordable. Many Victorian American kitchens would have contained a nutmeg grater, like this one, which uses a file-like surface to create the culinary seasoning powder.