25 Indonesian Spices That Have Many Benefits, Enhance Flavor to Immunity
Spices are Indonesia's main wealth that is indeed known all over the world. Many countries even import these plants from Indonesia.
Not only for seasoning dishes that enhance delicious flavors, spices also have health benefits, ranging from boosting immunity to improving digestive organ function. To be clearer, let's take a look at the explanation of the following 25 types of spices!
1. Turmeric
Its scientific name is curcuma longa and is commonly used to enhance the flavor of pepes, gulai, semur, and the most famous is yellow rice.
You can also grate turmeric, mix it with warm water, then squeeze it and drink the water. Turmeric has undeniable health benefits as it can smooth the performance of the large intestine, keeping digestion healthy.
2. Nutmeg
Maluku is home to nutmeg because it thrives on Banda Island. Besides being delicious as a cooking spice, this spice contains essential oils that are components for perfumes and soaps.
3. Cinnamon
Its fragrant aroma and sweet yet spicy taste, that's cinnamon. This spice is very famous in the culinary world because it is often used for seasoning dishes, especially those cooked by grilling and warm beverages.
4. Sesame
Sesame is usually processed as an important component of vegetable oil by extracting its seeds. Sesame is also an important ingredient for decorating onde-onde and other foods to make them look beautiful and savory.
5. Clove
Who doesn't know cloves? This plant was highly sought after by Europeans when they colonized Indonesia because it has many benefits, one of which is as a disinfectant, analgesic, and anesthetic for cavities, and of course as a very delicious cooking spice.
6. Ginger
Ginger has a fragrant smell when sniffed. Not only famous as a kitchen spice, ginger is also well-known as an herbal plant. You can roast it, crush it, and mix it into a glass of warm water. Drinking it when it rains or when feeling unwell will make the body feel warm.
7. Saffron
Saffron, besides being used as a cooking spice, is also used as a food coloring because it can provide a golden yellow from the content of picrocrocin and safranal. Saffron is very fragrant but has a bitter taste. This spice has antiseptic properties.
8. Cardamom
Cardamom is an expensive spice accompanying saffron and vanilla. In Indonesia, it costs around Rp45,000 per kilogram and will become ten times more if it meets export quality.
No wonder, cardamom has many benefits, making it highly sought after. Because, not only for flavoring, cardamom also provides health benefits and is used in the manufacturing industry.
9. Long Pepper
Long pepper is commonly found on the islands of Java and Sumatra. In the world, long pepper is known as Java Pepper. Long pepper contains essential oils, making it a main component in soap, cosmetics, perfumes, and medicines.
10. Secang Wood
Secang wood can be found in one of the components of wedang uwuh, a traditional drink from Jogja. It has a fragrant smell and contains high antioxidants that can ward off free radicals. Secang wood can also be used as a remedy for diarrhea.
11. Candlenut
Candlenut oil is claimed to promote hair growth. In the past, elders would burn candlenuts and rub them on their children's eyebrows to make them thicker. Now, many pharmaceutical industries process candlenuts into oil for hair growth.
12. Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a grass plant with various benefits. This plant is never absent from the kitchen as it can be used as a seasoning for various types of dishes. Lemongrass can even repel mosquitoes like lavender.
13. Kencur
This spice always has a special place in the kitchen, accompanying turmeric and ginger because it has many benefits. Usually, when used for herbal concoctions, kencur works together with finely ground rice, hence it is called rice kencur.
The health benefits are numerous as kencur can increase appetite, treat digestive inflammation, and provide a sense of calm in the body.
14. Coriander Leaves
Coriander leaves or cilantro have a distinctive fragrant aroma that makes a dish fresher. They are usually used for soupy dishes, such as soup and meatballs. Just chop them and sprinkle them on the dish when serving.
15. Coriander Seeds
Coriander seeds are related to cumin as they belong to the umbellifer family. They are small and round and are usually ground when used as a seasoning in dishes to provide a fragrant aroma.
16. Kluwek
One requirement for consuming kluwek: soak it for a long time and then boil it. This is because kluwek contains cyanide acid which is toxic and can make the consumer intoxicated if consumed raw.
If you eat rawon or konro soup, that's where kluwek is used. This spice can indeed give a black color to dishes. However, in Sunda, it is usually processed into stir-fry. Both are delicious!
17. Galangal
If you only see galangal briefly without smelling it, you might confuse it with ginger. You can use galangal for coconut milk dishes, sour vegetables, and stir-fries to enhance their flavors.
18. Star Anise
Star anise is also called star anise because of its star-like shape. Its aroma is very distinctive and adds a delicious flavor to dishes. Usually, star anise is used as an additional component for brewing tea.
19. Pepper
Pepper contains antipyretic properties that can reduce fever. In cooking, pepper is usually used to add spiciness, making the dish more delicious.
20. Vanilla
If you want to make pastries, you definitely need this spice. Because vanilla provides a very fragrant aroma. Vanilla is a cultivated plant with a very high selling price, as it is priced at Rp650,000 per kilogram. Moreover, if its quality is very good and meets export quality, it can reach millions.
21. Andaliman
Andaliman is nicknamed "Batak pepper" because it is often found as a seasoning in many Batak dishes, such as arsik and saksang. Uniquely, when you accidentally bite this spice, your tongue will suddenly feel numb because andaliman contains hydroxy-alpha-sanshool.
22. Fennel
Fennel can be used as an important herbal medicine to warm the body. This plant is even a main ingredient in making telon oil.
23. Bay Leaves
Curry, soto, lodeh, and many other dishes use bay leaves as seasoning. There is no need to grind or crush it in any other way, you can just tear the leaves, and this spice will already release a very delicious aroma and flavor.
24. Tamarind
You surely know tamarind, right? This spice is
