Indonesian Spices that Captivate Western People

TIMESINDONESIA, JAKARTA – Spices have become one common ingredient for Indonesian cuisine. From the simple one like Sambal (Indonesian spicy sauce) to the most complicated slow-cook Rendang.

The herbs and spices indeed take the most important thing in Indonesian cuisine. It gives a nice flavor and aroma to the food. It even captivates western people and makes them greedy for it.

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These are several herbs and spices that captivate those western people coming to invade this tropical country.

1. Pepper

Pepper has a nice smell and gives your body a warm sensation after you have it. That’s what makes Western people run for this ingredient. Back then, it was valued as gold. But now, it could be easily found around the world.

2. Clove

Maluku and Ambon are homes to the world’s biggest clove production. Used for its distinctive taste and as an herbal remedy to combat cold weather allergies, clove, or well known by the local community as cengkeh, is a favorite spice of people in Europe and Asia. As well as pepper it was valued as gold back then.

3. Cinnamon

Indonesia is the chief producer of cassia cinnamon, a sharp scented, spicy, and quite a bitter type. It’s known to have some health benefit. Some people would add it on their drink to warm their body.

4. Nutmeg

The Dutch fell in love to this ingredient since the first time they saw it. They even controlled the nutmeg plantation in Banda Island, Maluku during their colonialism. It used as one ingredient for cooking. It’s also known to be used as traditional remedies.

All these spices have made western people invade Indonesia back then. Luckily, as the modern era goes, all those Indonesian Spices could be found easily across the world through especially in Asian stores. (*) 

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