Got a dumb question. Earlier today when I was at work stocking, I came across a spice called mace. Would this happen to be related to the mace spray for self defense or is it called that for another reason? And while I'm still here asking silly questions, would it be the same case that pepper spray is called that because it uses chili or another pepper in the spray?

Grab-n-Stash said:
Got a dumb question. Earlier today when I was at work stocking, I came across a spice called mace. Would this happen to be related to the mace spray for self defense or is it called that for another reason? And while I'm still here asking silly questions, would it be the same case that pepper spray is called that because it uses chili or another pepper in the spray?

Pepper spray gets its name because it contains capsaicin. While the spice mace and the self-defense spray mace share a name, they are entirely different substances. Similarly, pepper spray is indeed named for its chili pepper content.

Grab-n-Stash said:
Got a dumb question. Earlier today when I was at work stocking, I came across a spice called mace. Would this happen to be related to the mace spray for self defense or is it called that for another reason? And while I'm still here asking silly questions, would it be the same case that pepper spray is called that because it uses chili or another pepper in the spray?

the name "Mace" is a brand name of self-defense spray, it dosn't have anything to do with the spice. I believe that it's meant to bring to mind the medieval weapon, implying it's similarly effective for defending oneself.