SALAM (Eugenia Polyantha)
Also known as the Indonesian Bay Leaf, the Salam tree is from the SE Asian region and is commonly found in forests, rural area and villages. They are generally not planted but large trees can still be found along the wayside in the older parts of Singapore. This tall tree can grow up to 30 m tall and has a cylindrical crown of simple leaves which are elliptical and narrowing towards the end.
When you crush the leaves of the Salam tree and smell it, the leaves give off a characteristic "jambu" smell. The white to pink flowers are small and faintly scented and arranged in small clusters along the twigs. Flowering is probably triggered by a fall in temperature as all the trees wil flower at the same time. The fruits are small round, rather flattened, ripening red to purple black and pulpy. Children and birds love to eat these slightly sweetish and edible fruits.
Salam leaves, both young and dried are used in cooking to impart an aroma to the food. They are commonly found in the cuisine of Sumatra, Java and even more Bali. They are applied to meat, and to a lesser extent, vegetables. In order to release their flavor, they must be fried or cooked for a while. In certain cookbooks, the daun salam is called the Indian Bay Leaf. This misleading name probably stems from the time when Indonesia was generally known as East India.
The bark can be used for tanning fishing nets and for coloring mats. An extract of the bark or an infusion of the leaves is given for diarrhea in Java. The bark, roots and leaves are used to relieve itchiness by the Malays.
Do you know…The genus Eugenia was named so in honor of Prince Eugene of Savoy. The species name polyantha “many flowered” is derived from the Greek polys ”many” and anthos ”flower”. The Indonesian folk name for daun salam means Peace Leaf.
When you crush the leaves of the Salam tree and smell it, the leaves give off a characteristic "jambu" smell. The white to pink flowers are small and faintly scented and arranged in small clusters along the twigs. Flowering is probably triggered by a fall in temperature as all the trees wil flower at the same time. The fruits are small round, rather flattened, ripening red to purple black and pulpy. Children and birds love to eat these slightly sweetish and edible fruits.
Salam leaves, both young and dried are used in cooking to impart an aroma to the food. They are commonly found in the cuisine of Sumatra, Java and even more Bali. They are applied to meat, and to a lesser extent, vegetables. In order to release their flavor, they must be fried or cooked for a while. In certain cookbooks, the daun salam is called the Indian Bay Leaf. This misleading name probably stems from the time when Indonesia was generally known as East India.
The bark can be used for tanning fishing nets and for coloring mats. An extract of the bark or an infusion of the leaves is given for diarrhea in Java. The bark, roots and leaves are used to relieve itchiness by the Malays.
Do you know…The genus Eugenia was named so in honor of Prince Eugene of Savoy. The species name polyantha “many flowered” is derived from the Greek polys ”many” and anthos ”flower”. The Indonesian folk name for daun salam means Peace Leaf.