When the buds of Myrtaceae lilacs are dried, they are our seasoning lilacs. Lilac bud contains a lot of aromatic substance eugenol, which gives off a special fragrance and spicy taste. Its tubular structure is a hypertrophy calyx, while the tubular structure of Oleaceae clove is a corolla tube, which is totally different.
Spice clove is big, full, bright purple-brown, rich in aroma and oil, which can complement each other with meat, fruits and cakes and add delicacy. It originated in Indonesia and is now cultivated in Southeast Asia and East Africa, and also in Hainan and Guangxi provinces in China.
Although this kind of clove is not as common as the last one, it is more famous. Indonesia and many places in Southeast Asia are famous spice producing areas. In ancient times, Europeans trudged through Qian Shan and shipped cloves, peppers, nutmeg, herbs and cinnamon back to Europe-the price was higher than gold.
Around these spices, there are not only gold treasures, but also blood and tears The history of spice trade is a history of war.
There is another kind of clove in Myrtaceae, commonly known as female clove, which looks a bit like jujube pit:
This clove is the dried fruit of Myrtaceae-don't pick the bud, and when the clove blooms freely, the fragrant oil will gather again. However, clove fruit is not as rich as clove bud. This kind of clove has a light taste and is suitable for people who can't stand the strong fragrance of clove buds.
I think long pepper and clove are both suitable seasonings for chicken stew. Lilacs and chickens are a golden couple. People think it is too strong because the dose is not well mastered. Mix a bucket of brine and cook a bucket of chicken. The amount of clove is only 35 grams, which shows how strong its aroma is. When cooking a dish, it is easy for the chef to use it a lot, so the effect is not good. Water chestnut also has the function of enhancing fragrance, but it is mainly antiseptic, and putting a little when stewing chicken is also beneficial to enhancing fragrance.