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Matthew Patay's
Note of the Month
November 2004
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Map and flag images provided by Graphic Maps
This month's featured note
is from the country of Indonesia.
The denomination is 20,000 Rupiah and the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money
(SCWPM) Number is P-135c.
The note is dated 1995 but was issued in 1995/1997.
_f.JPG)
(front)
The banknote is black, dark grayish green and red on multi-colored under print.
A Red Bird-of-paradise (Paradisea rubra) is at center.
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The following information
was obtained from:
Bird Life
International - Red Data Book
Red Bird-of-paradise
(Paradisea rubra)
The Red Bird-of-paradise is endemic to the West Papuan islands of Waigeo, Batanta, Gemien and Saonek off north-west Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), Indonesia, where it is common in forest and forest edge in the lowlands and hills, up to 600 m (Beehler et al. 1986, Gibbs 1993, Poulsen and Frolander 1994, Eastwood 1996). Waigeo's rugged relief and lack of infrastructure suggest there may be no serious immediate threats to its forests, and the Pulau Waigeo nature reserve, established in the late 1980s, covers 1,530 km2, but there are reports that it may be substantially reduced in size (Holmes 1989, Dekker and McGowan 1995). Selective logging has been reported in the north of Waigeo, the south-east corner of the island was ravaged by fire in 1982, and there are concerns over a cobalt mining concession on the island (Dekker and Argeloo 1993, WWF-IUCN 1994_1995, Dekker and McGowan 1995, Sujatnika et al. 1995). Logging on Batanta (where the only protected area is only 100 km2) is resulting in major habitat loss. As well as possibly declining from habitat degradation, it is hunted locally for skins and possibly cagebirds
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_b.JPG)
(back)
A Cloves flower is at center and a
map of the Indonesian Archipelago is at right.
The following information
was obtained from:
Encyclopedia of Spices
Clove
Eugenia caryophyllus
syn: E. caryophyllata, E . aromatica,
Caryophyllus aromaticus, Syzgium aromaticum
Fam: Myrtaceae
The word ‘clove’ is from the Latin word for ‘nail’ – clavus. The clove is native to the North Moluccas, the Spice Islands of Indonesia. It is cultivated in Brazil, the West Indies, Mauritius, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar and Pemba. The Chinese wrote of cloves as early as 400 BC. and there is a record from 200 BC of courtiers keeping cloves in their mouths to avoid offending the emperor while addressing him. Arab traders delivered cloves to the Romans.
Spice Description
Cloves are the immature unopened flower buds of a tropical tree. When fresh, they are pink, dried, they turn to a rust-brown colour. Measuring 12-16 mm (1/2”-5/8”) long, they resemble small nails, with a tapered stem. The large end of the clove is the four-pointed flower bud.
Bouquet: Warm, pungent and
aromatic
Flavour: Sweetly pungent, astringent and strongly aromatic.
Hotness Scale: 5
Preparation and Storage
Cloves are best bought whole. As a powder flavour quickly deteriorates. Being extremely hard, it is difficult to grind cloves with a mortar and pestle so an electric grinder such as a coffee grinder is recommended. Store in an airtight container out of direct light.
Culinary Uses
Cloves can easily overpower a dish, particularly when ground, so only a few need be used. Whole cloves are often used to “stud” hams and pork, pushing the tapered end into the meat like a nail. A studded onion is frequently used to impart an elusive character to courts-bouillons, stocks and soups. Cloves are often used to enhance the flavour of game, especially venison, wild boar and hare. They are used in a number of spice mixtures including ras el hanout, curry powders, mulling spices and pickling spices. Cloves also figure in the flavour of Worcestershire sauce. They enjoy much popularity in North Africa and the Middle East where they are generally used for meat dishes, though rice is often aromatized with a few cloves.
Attributed Medicinal Properties
Cloves contain 15 to 20% essential oil which is mostly Eugenol which is a very strong antiseptic. Clove oil is often applied directly to an aching tooth, bringing immediate relief. Compounded with zinc oxide, it has been used in dentistry as a temporary tooth filling. It is a strong stimulant and carminative and used to treat nausea, indigestion and dyspepsia.
Plant Description and Cultivation
A conical tropical evergreen myrtaceous tree reaching heights of up to 14m (45 ft). The bark is gray, the leaves are a shiny dark green, elliptical in shape and very fragrant. Small crimson flowers grow in triple clusters at the ends of branches. The fruit is a purple drupe, about 2.5 cm (1”) long. Cloves grow in the tropics and best near the sea. Rainfall must be at least sixty inches per year and a dry season is needed for harvesting and curing. The clove clusters are picked by hand before the buds open and dried on palm mats.
Other Names
French: clou de girofle
German: Gewuzenelke
Italian: chiodo di garofano
Spanish: clavo de especia
Burmese: ley-nyin-bwint
Chinese: ding heung
Indian: lao(o)ng, laung lavang, lavungam
Thai: gahn plu
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For more information about Indonesia visit:
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