Kretek: The Culture and Heritage of Indonesia's Clove Cigarettes

By Mark Hanusz

Carried on the warm breezes of a sultry tropic night, the scent of kretek — Indonesia's indigenous clove cigarette — is the aromatic soul of a nation, the fragrant embodiment of all things Indonesian.

Bringing together tobacco from the New World and spices from the Old, kretek is a product of extraordinary historical circumstances, but its home is Indonesia, where the lingering traces of its distinctive aroma are an ever-present part of everyday life.

Featuring a magnificent selection of specially-commissioned photographs and an equally fascinating collection of rare maps, paintings, prints and other archival images, Kretek : The Culture and Heritage of Indonesia’s Clove Cigarettes tells the remarkable story of kretek from its origins as a remedy for asthma to its ascendancy as a cultural icon.