Cloves (Bunga chengkih)
Clove is one of the oldest spices in the world. It is the dried and unopened flower bud of a small evergreen tree. It is indigenous to the Moluccas islands of Indonesia. Clove goes mainly as an ingredient of a variety of food specialties, beverages, medicines, cosmetics, perfumery and toiletries. Either whole or as a powder, clove finds extensive application in Indian foods. It is an active ingredient of garam masala and several kinds of curry powders. Clove is also highly recommended for making pickles, ketchups and several kinds of sweets. It is very often used with pan for chewing after meals. and in tooth pastes as a fragrant mouth -freshener.
Usage: Cloves are an important ingredient in the spice blends of Sri Lana and North India. They are used in garam masala, biryanis and pickles. In the U.S., cloves are used in meats, salad dressings and desserts. Clove is a key flavor contributor to Ketchup and Worchestershire sauce seasonging blends. Chinese and German seasonings also depends on cloves to flavor meat and cookies.