- The dried buds of tropical evergreen tree, cloves are reddish-brown in color with rounded flower head.
- -They are one of the most important Nepali spices, used both for culinary and medicinal purpose.
- - In Sanskrit, cloves are called deva kusuma meaning "the flower of the gods" or auspicious bud."
- -Cloves are either used whole or ground to flavor many Nepali dishes such as meat, poultry, vegetable stews, and rice, but rarely in sweet dishes
Aside from its culinary use, cloves are also used to freshen one's mouth. Nepalese chew cloves throughout the day, alone or with green or black cardamom or cinnamon sticks and betel nuts. Chewing cloves is certainly a cultivated taste, and at first, they can be bitingly sharp, hot, and leave a numb sensation in the mouth, but once you get used to it you enjoy the taste.
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