CLOVES - THE PRECIOUS AND DELICIOUS SPICES

 Cloves, respected as one of the most precious and delicious spices treasured in the West for centuries. Cloves believed precious because several wars have fought between the peoples.Cloves are one of the antique spices.

Cloves are valued highly for their medicinal and culinary applications.

Cloves are made use as one of the ingredients for preparing many spice blends. Clove has a pleasant aroma and flavor. Clove blends with all sweet and savory food items because of its flavor.

DRIED CLOVE BUDS

 

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Scientific Name: Syzygium aromaticum

Family: Myrtaceae

Clove is an enclosed flower bud of the evergreens perennial clove trees. The color of the flower bud is pink/rose. Before the bud unfurls the Cloves are handpicked from the tree and made to dry in the sun. The color of the clove transformed from pink to a dark reddish-brown stem and slightly reddish-brown bud.

Seasonal Clove Buds Drying on Pemba

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Clove is a spicy, woody, sweet aroma and has a hot, bitter, pungent taste.

Indonesia is the highest yielder of cloves in the World. The next countries are Madagascar, Zanzibar, India, and Sri Lanka.

HISTORY

The Moluccas Islands (Maluku) or the Spice Islands in Indonesia is the origin or native to cloves. From Indonesia, the clove spread to other regions of the World by traders.

CLOVE TREES

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• The Chinese made use of these cloves as early as 200 BC (3rd century BC) the Officials or Courtiers chewed these cloves to sweeten their breaths when they have a meeting with their emperor (Han Dynasty).

• Arab Traders spread cloves to Rome and the Greek World by the 1st century AD.

• Cloves spread to Egypt by 176 AD.

• Europeans fought each other for obtaining exclusive possession in the clove trade in the Spice Islands because of its value in the 17th century.

• Cloves were cultivated only in the Moluccas Islands, which includes Bacan, Makian, Moti, Ternate, and Tidore until the modern period.

• ‘Afo’ in Ternate believed as the oldest clove tree in the World. The age of Afo is between 350 – 400 years old.    

• Clove confined to certain parts of the East until the clove seeds from the Afo tree abducted by a Frenchman Pierre Poivre (by 1770) in the 16th century and carried to the Isle de France (Mauritius) and later spread to Zanzibar.

• Archaeologists’ have found traces of cloves in their excavations.

i) Traces found in Syria around 1721 BC.

ii) Traces found in trading port in Sri Lanka around 900 – 1100 AD.

UNIVERSAL NAMES OF CLOVE

The native of Cloves is Indonesia and now grown all around the World. Cloves are available throughout the year since the harvesting period differs in each location in the World. Therefore, clove has many different names across the globe. 

CLOVE BUDS

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In Arab known as koronful, kruidnagel in Dutch, mikhak in Farsi, clou de girofle in French, lavang in Hindi, garofano in Italian, choji in Japanese, grampus in Malayalam, bunga cinkeh in Malaysian, Indonesian, clavo in Spanish, ki-rambu in Tamil, kan ploo in Thai, etc.

The word clove minted from the French word clou and Spanish word clavo meaning ‘nail’ because of clove shape similar to the nail.     

CHEMICAL COMPONENTS

The chemical components existing in the cloves are present in the essential oils. The essential oils present in the clove bud are supreme than the oil present in the stem or leaves.

The clove bud has 5% to 20% essential oils, which is yellowish-green. The chief component present in the essential oil is Eugenol. Eugenol holds 72% - 90% of essential oil. Eugenol is responsible for the clove’s aroma and taste.

The extraction of essential oils from clove buds uses ultrasound and microwave-assisted methods.

The Flowers of Clove Tree in Pemba Island

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The other compounds present in the clove bud are eugenol acetate (7%), β caryophyllene (9%), traces of benzaldehyde, vanillin, cretogolic acid, bicornin, gallotannic acid, methyl salicylate, eugenin, kaempferol, rhamnetin, eugenitin, oleanolic acid, stigmasterol, campesterol, and chavicol.

The essential oils are present in the clove stems and leaves as well. The stems have 6% of oils, which is approximately 83% of Eugenol. The clove leaves have 2 % of essential oils, which has 80% of Eugenol. The clove has tannins – quercitannic acid as well. This holds 13%. The clove has 10 % of fixed oils too.

NUTRITION FACTS

Cloves are valued highly for their medicinal uses and culinary uses for its fragrance. The nutrition present in 1 teaspoon or 2.1g of ground cloves has:

Calories: 6 (kcal)

Protein: 0.13g

Total Fat: 0.27g

Carbohydrate: 1.38g

Dietary Fiber: 0.7g

Manganese: 1.263mg

Sodium: 5.8mg

Calcium: 13.27mg

Iron: 0.25mg

Potassium: 21mg

Vitamin K: 2.98mcg

Magnesium: 5.44mg

ADULTERATIONS

Adulteration is possible in most of the food items. The cloves are adulterated with headless cloves i.e., the bud is absent only the stem is present. The headless cloves considered waste while separating the flower buds from the stalk.

Mother cloves: are the ripened fruits of the cloves. Mother cloves are determined by starch present on the seeds.

Blown cloves: are extended flowers. The corolla (the collection of petals) and stamens (reproductive organ of a flower) are separated.

Exhausted cloves: The filtration process obtains the oils present in the cloves. The cloves do not have any essential oils in it.

 THE BY-PRODUCTS

Clove bud Oil: The dried buds are processed under steam distillation, and it yields unstable oil, which contains free Eugenol of 70 – 90 %, Eugenol acetate, and caryophyllene. These three compounds constitute 99% of the oil, and the remaining 1% are traces of other compounds like methyl-n-amyl ketone. The compound methyl-n-amyl ketone and other trace compounds are responsible for the fresh fruity odor of the oil.

Clove stem Oil: Clove stem oil contains the same constituents as clove bud oil but with different proportions. The clove stem oil contains free Eugenol more than the bud oil. The stem oil contains only traces of Eugenol acetate.

Clove-leaf Oil: this oil contains only small quantities of free Eugenol, Eugenol acetate. The traces of methyl-n-amyl ketone are found in much lower quantity than the clove stem oil.

Clove-root Oil: The roots of the Clove tree are processed under steam distillation, and it yields 6% root oil. The freshly distilled oil is bright yellow. This oil has about 85 – 95 % of Eugenol.

USES

CULINARY USES

• Cloves are used in many cuisines across the globe. The countries in Asia, Africa, and Middle East use cloves as a part of their cuisines like meats, curries, marinades, hot beverages, and fruits for its fragrance and flavor.

• Cloves are used in baked foods, cakes, chocolates, desserts, puddings, syrups, and for flavoring curries, sauces, ketchup, gravies, etc. 

• The fragrance and flavor of the clove are because of its chemical component Eugenol.

• Clove is one of the essential ingredients of spice cuisine. Cloves paired with cinnamon, basil leaves, star anise, and cardamom. Clove gives fragrance and flavor to the food items. Clove added with all masala food preparations.

• Cloves are used with mostly all types of food items like spicy, fruity, caramel, chocolaty, and even in meats too.

• In the U.S. Cloves or its oil are used in baked ham, red cabbages, carrots, fruitcakes, puddings, desserts, meats, salads, etc.

ORANGE POMANDER

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• In India and Sri Lanka, Cloves are added in biryanis, meat recipes, pickles, and its powdered form added in garam masala for fragrance and flavor. The cloves are part of the betel nut mixture, which chewed after meals for digestion.

• In European countries, Cloves are used in sweet dishes, pickles, mincemeat, soups, stewed fruits, in loaves of bread, etc.

• Cloves play a chief part in Chinese five-spice blends (peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and star anise).

FIVE - SPICE POWDER

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• North Africans add cloves to their Bharat, berbere, ras-el-hanout for fragrance and flavor.

• Indonesian people use local cigarettes known as ‘kretek’ that contains cloves, which confer a sweet aroma. This cigarette utilized in Europe, Asia, and in the United States.

THERAPEUTIC USES

• Daily consumption/chewing of clove give immense benefits to the human body.

• Clove has a hot taste, and it contains anti-oxidants, anti-septic, anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory properties.

• Cloves boost immunity power by increasing white blood cells.

• Cloves contain Vitamin C, which is essential for immunity.

• Cloves used since ancient times to cure/alleviate digestive problems.

• Cloves contain an adequate amount of dietary fiber, which helps in digestion and alleviates constipation problems.

• Cloves avoid nausea.

• If there is any improper digestion, one can chew the clove or can consume the clove powder with honey.

• Clove is one of the home remedies for toothache.

• The Eugenol present in the clove keeps the liver healthy.

• The Eugenol present in the clove has painkiller and anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties.

• The headache is cured by either consuming clove or applying clove oil to the forehead.

• Cloves are used for curing flatulence and dyspepsia problems.

• The compound present in the clove acts as an antimutagenic. This inhibits gene mutation, thus forbidding the formation of cancer cells.

INDUSTRIAL USES

• Cloves are part of many kinds of toothpaste and mouthwashes.

• Clove oils used while preparing perfumes and the making of artificial vanilla, soaps.

• Pharmaceutical industries use clove oil for various preparations.

As to conclude, enjoy the benefits of clove buds. The clove tree grows, it takes nearly 20 years for the clove bud to emerge, and it harvested according to the seasons for many years since it is an evergreen and perennial tree.