Historically, grated nutmeg was kept in sachets for its pleasant aroma, and the Romans burned it as incense. Around the 1600s, nutmeg became a very expensive spice in the Western world. It was the subject of secret deals, with the Dutch trying to keep its price high and the English and French working to obtain healthy seeds for growing their own nutmeg. To stop nutmegs from sprouting during trade, whole nutmegs were dipped in lime.