Nutmeg is native to the spice islands of Indonesia. It is a warm intensely aromatic bitter/sweet spice that should be used sparingly as it can be overpowering in dishes. Nutmeg is used in Middle Eastern cuisine to add flavour to lamb dishes, in Italian cooking to add warmth to sauces for pasta, veal, sausages or spinach and in France for classically slow braised casseroles and ragouts. Ground nutmeg (as a fine powder) is often more suitable for baking and pastry applications and when used to "dust" over desserts such as baked custards.