Everything about Cloves totally explained
» This article is about the spice; for other meanings see clove (disambiguation).
Cloves (
Syzygium aromaticum,
syn. Eugenia aromaticum or
Eugenia caryophyllata) are the aromatic dried
flower buds of a tree in the family
Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to
Indonesia and used as a
spice in cuisine all over the world. The name derives from French
clou, a nail, as the buds vaguely resemble small irregular nails in shape. Cloves are harvested primarily in
Zanzibar,
Indonesia and
Madagascar; it's also grown in
Pakistan,
India, and
Sri Lanka.
The clove tree is an
evergreen which grows to a height ranging from 10-20 m, having large oval
leaves and crimson flowers in numerous groups of terminal clusters. The flower buds are at first of a pale color and gradually become green, after which they develop into a bright red, when they're ready for collecting. Cloves are harvested when 1.5-2 cm long, and consist of a long
calyx, terminating in four spreading
sepals, and four unopened petals which form a small ball in the centre.
Uses
According to
FAO, Indonesia produced almost 80% of the world's clove output in 2005 followed at a distance by Madagascar and Tanzania.
Cloves can be used in cooking either whole or in a ground form, but as they're extremely strong, they're used sparingly. The spice is used throughout
Europe and
Asia and is smoked in a type of
cigarettes locally known as
kretek in Indonesia. Cloves are also an important
incense material in
Chinese and
Japanese culture.
Cloves have historically been used in
Indian cuisine (both
North Indian and
South Indian) as well as in Mexican cuisine, where it's often paired together with
cumin and canela (
cinnamon). In the north Indian cuisine, it's used in almost every sauce or side dish made, mostly ground up along with other spices. They are also a key ingredient in tea along with green cardamoms. In the south Indian cuisine, it finds extensive use in the
biryani dish (similar to the
pilaf, but with the addition of local spice taste), and is normally added whole to enhance the presentation and flavor of the rice.
Medicinal uses
Cloves are used in
Ayurveda called Lavang in
India,
Chinese medicine (Ravi & Jagdish) and western
herbalism and
dentistry where the essential oil is used as an
anodyne (painkiller) for dental emergencies. Cloves are used as a
carminative, to increase hydrochloric acid in the stomach and to improve
peristalsis. Cloves are also said to be a natural
antihelmintic. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy when stimulation and warming is needed, especially for digestive problems. Topical application over the stomach or abdomen will warm the digestive tract.
In Chinese medicine cloves or
ding xiang are considered acrid, warm and aromatic, entering the
kidney,
spleen and
stomach meridians, and are notable in their ability to warm the middle, direct stomach
qi downward, to treat
hiccough and to fortify the kidney
yang. Because the herb is so warming it's contraindicated in any persons with fire symptoms and according to classical sources shouldn't be used for anything except cold from yang deficiency. As such it's used in formulas for impotence or clear vaginal discharge from yang deficiency, for morning sickness together with
ginseng and
patchouli, or for vomiting and diarrhea due to spleen and stomach coldness. This would translate to
hypochlorhydria.
Ayurvedic herbalist K.P. Khalsa, RH (AHG), uses cloves internally as a tea and topically as an oil for hypotonic muscles, including for multiple sclerosis. This is also found in Tibetan medicine. Ayurvedic herbalist Alan Tilotson, RH (AHG) suggests avoiding more than occasional use of cloves internally in the presence of
pitta inflammation such as is found in acute flares of autoimmune diseases.
In West Africa, the Yorubas use cloves infused in water as a treatment for stomach upsets, vomitting and diarrhoea.The infusion is called Ogun Jedi-jedi.
Western studies have supported the use of cloves and clove oil for dental pain, and to a lesser extent for fever reduction, as a mosquito repellent and to prevent premature ejaculation. Clove may reduce blood sugar levels.
Toxicity
Large amounts should be avoided in pregnancy.
Cloves can be irritating to the gastrointestinal tract, and should be avoided by people with gastric ulcers, colitis, or irritable bowel syndrome. In overdoses, cloves can cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage.
Severe cases can lead to changes in liver function, dyspnea, loss of consciousness, hallucination, and even death. The internal use of the essential oil should be restricted to 3 drops per day for an adult as excessive use can cause severe kidney damage.
History
Until modern times, cloves grew only on a few islands in the
Maluku Islands (historically called the
Spice Islands), including
Bacan,
Makian,
Moti,
Ternate, and
Tidore. Nevertheless, they found their way west to the
Middle East and
Europe well before the first century
CE. Archeologists found cloves within a ceramic vessel in
Syria along with evidence dating the find to within a few years of
1721 BC.
Notes and references
Further Information
Get more info on 'Cloves'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://clove.totallyexplained.com">Clove Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
