Nutmeg is a warm, sweet spice that comes from the seed of a tropical tree. When you smell pumpkin pie, gingerbread cookies, or eggnog during the holidays, you're often smelling nutmeg. Bakers grate the hard, brown seed into a powder and add just a pinch to give foods a cozy, slightly sweet flavor.

The nutmeg tree grows in Indonesia and other tropical places. For centuries, nutmeg was incredibly valuable: European traders crossed dangerous oceans to bring it home, and wars were fought over islands where nutmeg trees grew. Today it's common in any grocery store, but it still adds that special something to recipes.

In soccer, nutmeg also means something completely different: it's a move where you kick the ball between an opponent's legs and collect it on the other side. Players celebrate a successful nutmeg because it's both effective and can feel embarrassing for the defender who got beaten.