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.
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.
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.
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.
