all about spices and herbs

Synonyms: Eugenia cayophylaltum, syzygium aromaticum
Forms of use: blossom buds (dried-whole or ground)
Origin: Cloves are native to Indonesian Molusccas, the “Spice Insland”. Today, the tree is grown in Indonesia, Madagaskar, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
Aroma: the taste of cloves is fiery sharp and slightly hot. Cloves smell very strong.
Use: Cloves enhance the taste of sweet dishes, baked goods and punch. They lend a special, piquant aroma to meat and fish dishes as well as game, poultry, stews, red cabbage, marinades of any type and smoked goods. Fine chocolates are delicious thanks to cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.
Cloves are contained in various spice mixes such as Indian “garam masala”, Arab”Baharat”and Chinese five-spice mix. Cloves are also present in Worchestershire sauce.
Buying/storing: whole cloves are preffered to powdered cloves because the essential oil evaporates very fast after cloves are ground. A spice grinder can grind a few cloves easily. Freshly ground cloves are perfect for Christmas cookies. Powdered and whole cloves can be kept in an airtight, dry and dark container for 2-3 days.
Properties: the clove tree prospers best in tropical marine climates. It can grow up to 50 feet high and bear about 6 pounds of fruit per year from its sixth to its sixtieth year. It has and red blossoms narrow, cylindrical, evergreen leaves similar to bay leaves. As soon as the firmly closed green buds turn light red, they are picked manually, separated from the stems and dried in the sun. In this way, cloves turn the brown color by which we identify them. They are rich in essential oils.
Medicinal Use: Cloves promote digestion, relieve stomachaches, stimulate appetite, relieve pain and disinfect. They heal toothaches as well. Clove oil is used as an anesthetic in dental surgery and as an ingredient for diarrhea and flatulence.

Did you know…..
Half a lemon stuck with cloves helps to repel mosquitoes on warm, sultry days.