Cloves
BOTANICALLY SPEAKING
Nail shaped and reddish brown in color, cloves have a strong, pungent and slightly sweet flavor. They are the dried flower buds of the tropical evergreen tree Syzygium aromaticum. Cloves are available whole and ground.
YUM FACTOR
Cloves invigorate many specialties of North Indian and Sri Lankan cooking, appearing in the spice blend garam masala, rice biryanis and all manner of spiced pickles. You’ll also find it in all sorts of North American holiday treats, from glazed ham and pumpkin pie to lemon-clove cookies. Add a pinch to simmering cider or mulled wine for an aromatic treat.
GLOBETROTTER’S GUIDE
Native to the Molucca Islands of Indonesia, today’s cloves are grown in Indonesia, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and Zanzibar.
BELIEVE IT…OR NOT
The name clove derives from the French word clou, meaning nail, a descriptor of its shape. The first literary references date back to Han dynasty China from 206 B.C. to A.D. 220, when it was called “tongue spice;” courtiers were required to hold cloves in their mouths when addressing the emperor. From the eighth century on, cloves became a major player in European commerce. Wars were fought over exclusive rights to the clove trade, including in the 18th century when the French purportedly stole clove-tree seeds from the Dutch in order to break their monopoly on this profitable business. When clove forests were discovered in Indonesia, all were enchanted with the fragrance and beauty of the trees and the romance of their need to “always see the sea” in order to thrive.
RECIPES
Golden Clove Glazed HamLemon Clove Cookies