Flower Type Spices have a certain flavour and taste which they lend to the ingredients they are used with. Some flowers of a certain plant are used to make flower type spices. Some common Flower type spices that are used in Indian foods are rose, saffron and clove.

Rose
Roses have a long history in the kitchen as well as in the decoration. The food-safe and edible rose petals are suitable for use as an ingredient, a garnish or as a bed for food that needs to be extra special. Yet, its essential oil is added to many food items for flavouring purposes at least.

Saffron
Saffron is another Flower type spices, consists the dried stigmas of the plant. It is cultivated for its large, scented, blue or lavender flowers. Saffron is well known all over the world added to various food items for colouring, flavouring and for taste. Saffron is one of the oldest and certainly among the world"s most expensive Flower type spices.

Capers
Capers are roughly spherical and round angled and dark green in colour. They have a very pungent taste and are used as condiments in sauces and pickles.

Kewra
Kewra flowers have a sweet, perfumed odour with a pleasant quality similar to rose flowers, but kewra is fruitier. The kewra water or syrup can be sprinkled over a Pulao or any rice dish to give it a hint of sweet or to balance out the spice. Kewra syrup has its use in sweet dishes like Gulab Jamun.

Clove
Clove is one of the most ancient and valuable flower type spices in the entire world, known as far back as the 1st Century B.C. Clove was imported to Europe in 1265 A.D. Its source and place of origin were shrouded in mystery until the Portuguese discovered the Moluoca Island in the 16th century. As a spice, in whole or powder form, cloves are used in cuisines all around the world. They are also used as a food preservative.

These Flower type spices are widely used in all parts of India. Large quantities of these flowers are required to be harvested in order to yield a viable supply of these flower type spices.