cloves

origin: Indonesia

A strong, pungent flavour, cloves are the dried flower buds from a clove tree.

uses: Cloves are often used in both sweet and savoury blends and sauces from ketchup to worcester sauce. Try adding a pinch to honey, dried chilli and soy for a quick barbeque marinade.

recipe kits: baked vanilla cheesecake, butter chicken, zanzibari curry, sindhi biryani, thai massaman curry, butter chicken, bobotie, doro wat,

Spice Notes

Origin: Indonesia

Clove buds

Cloves drying by the roadside in Indonesia. The ones on the left are fresh that day, over the course of a day or so they dry, darken in colour and develop the characteristic scent and flavour

A strong, pungent flavour, cloves are the dried flower buds from a clove tree.

Originally native to just a handful of remote Indonesian islands, the clove has spread its scent and flavour to cuisines throughout the world. Surprisingly, perhaps cloves are not used in large quantities in Indonesian cooking but mainly in the distinctive clove-scented cigarettes so popular in the area. The magical scent of cloves has played an important role in world trade and even been the cause of wars over control of the supply of the lucrative trade.

Worth having in the cupboard for the occasional use. Used in small quantities in a lot of things, but too strong to be the main flavour.
Cloves are often used in both sweet and savoury blends and sauces from ketchup to worcester sauce.

Medicinal Properties:
An analgesic. Numbs the mouth, freshens the breath, natural antiseptic.
Chew on a clove to relieve tooth aches – actually works!
Has the greatest antioxidant effect of the spices.
Anti-fungal
Digestive complaints and nausea – clove oil being the most effective way

Uses:

• Try adding a pinch to honey, dried chilli and soy for a quick barbeque marinade.

• Part of 5 spice.

• Chinese stocks,

• Perfume rice – just use 1 or 2

• Pinch ground cloves into a tomato sauce. Matches well with tomato and basil.

• Stud into ham

• Or into a shallot to make white sauce. Infuse in the milk.

• Pickles or chutneys.

• Mulled wine