Most people may not be familiar with "clove", because it is mostly used in dishes with other spices. It is not only one of the well-known Chinese spices "five spices", but also an important spice in Indian Masala spices and curry. Role.

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Lilac is one of the indispensable and important roles of Masala.

Clove Clove Ingredients Classroom

Cloves are native to the Molucca Islands, the Spice Islands of Indonesia. They are now grown in most tropical countries, with the main producing areas being the Sankiba Islands, Indonesia, In places such as Tanzania, Madagascar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Indonesia, which produces 80% of the output, is the bulk.

Where does clove come from? In fact, it is a spice made by drying the buds of the clove tree. Its name Clove comes from the Latin word Clavus (meaning nail), because the dried buds are brown and look like It's like a nail, and it's really hard to imagine its original appearance. It should be noted that "lilacs and lilacs" of the genus Syringaceae in the family Oleaceae are also commonly known as lilacs. Don't confuse the two.

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Lilac flower buds before drying.

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Lilac grains grow like nails.

How to treat cloves

The strong and fragrant smell of cloves mainly comes from eugenol, which is also found in plants such as dill, cinnamon and nutmeg. Can be found that has a fairly long lasting aroma.

On its own, cloves taste spicy, bitter and numb, but when cooked with food, they turn into a mild and sweet flavor, making the food more mellow. It can be said to be one of the essential spices for stewed dishes. 1. It is very suitable for pairing with meat and sweet foods. Traditional eating methods from various places include: Americans are used to inserting cloves directly into ham for baking, Germans will add cloves to bread and even wine recipes, and Chinese people often use cumin to stew braised pig feet or lamb legs.

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Delicious Indian cuisine cannot be without the embellishment of cloves!

India’s famous “spice rice” combines cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, Masala spice powder and cinnamon sticks are stir-fried with white rice and then steamed. The flavor is quite charming! If you don’t want to bother cooking it at home, there is also a simple version: when cooking rice, add 1 to 2 clove grains, and the cooked rice It will have a special aroma, and it will taste delicious when you smell it!

Although it has a spicy taste, cloves are very suitable for use in desserts and drinks, as well as with apples, chocolate and coffee. The flavors all go together; classic pairings include apple pie, hot spiced apple juice that Westerners drink every Christmas, chocolate milk porridge, a traditional dish from Bolivia in South America, and Indian spiced milk tea that is popular in South Asia.

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When it comes to apple pie, everyone will first think of "cinnamon". You might as well try adding cloves next time, you can taste a different and good taste~

Cloves also have medical effects

In addition to cooking, cloves are also used in Ayurvedic and According to records, traditional medicine such as traditional Chinese medicine has been used medicinally as early as the Han Dynasty. In modern Western medicine, clove essential oil is considered to have the effect of relieving pain and has become a mild analgesic for dentists. Therefore, if you want to buy cloves in Taiwan, in addition to going to specialized spice shops, you can also easily find them in Chinese medicine stores.

The aroma of cloves is also good for repelling insects

The strong smell of cloves is also very suitable for repelling pests! Hanging cloves in gauze indoors can help repel flies and fruit flies.