Herbs & Spices

Clove / Laung / Lavang

Cloves are the unopened flower buds of the clove tree. Were they left to open, these same buds would produce remarkably delicate flowers. After picking they are dried in the traditional way, sun-drying them on woven mats. They loose their moisture, become hard and reddish-brown in colour. The best cloves have deep reddish-brown stems though in comparison a lighter crown; they tend to be rough to touch, exude a small quantity of oil if compressed with a fingernail and snap cleanly between the two.

Cloves have an extremely strong and pungent aroma, with notes of pepper and camphor. The taste is rich and warm, aromatic and fruity but also sharp, hot and bitter, creating a numbing sensation on the tongue. This characteristic taste is dominated by the eugenol in the essential oil and is the reason why cloves must be used sparingly as they can easily overpower other spices used in dishes.

The Molucca Islands of Indonesia are believed to be the origin of cloves, and remain their largest producer. It is Zanzibar and Madagascar, however, who export the most cloves as Indonesia's produce rarely gets a chance to leave the country due to their popularity there. Historically, cloves coming from Madagascar are believed to be superior to other produces.

As with chillies, cloves have found uses in all parts of the world, from an ingredient in stews, cheese and apple pies to a flavouring for ham in America; from a five spice powder in China to the extremely popular kretek cigarettes in Indonesia due to their unique aroma. In Indian cuisine, cloves are particularly used in masalas, pilau rice and various cooking sauces.

Cloves are used to make Patak's Garam Masala, Jalfrezi and Rogan Josh pastes. Korma also has hints of ground cloves in it.

Did you know?
The name clove is derived from the French word clou meaning nail, which is the shape that the bud and stem resemble. Cloves are known to have antiseptic properties and their smell is often associated with the dentist. At the time of the early Chinese civilisation commoners chewed cloves to sweeten their breath before talking to the emperor. The Chinese also used cloves as a mild anaesthetic for toothache.