Whole cloves

Clove 

Obtained from the bud of Syzygium aromaticum, an evergreen tree of the Myrtaceae family, native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia, cloves are a spice used in various ways (whole nails, ground nails, essential oil) all over the world, especially in Asia.

Known since Egyptian times, from the cloves was obtained an essential oil used during embalming procedures.

The cloves take their name from the dried buds still closed of the "Eugenia Cary ophyllata", a tree now cultivated in many tropical areas: Antilles, East Africa, China and Zanzibar, a small island in the Indian Ocean, which is the world's largest producer of this spice.

In the language of flowers and plants cloves have always symbolized the nails of Christ's crucifixion, so their meaning is far from positive. This significance is probably due to the fact that their marketing on European territories began to spread at a time when religious culture was still the master.

The taste of cloves is really special, perhaps unique among all spices. It is a strong and pungent flavor, due to the presence of eugenol, which is found mainly in the essential oil extracted from the plant. Eugenol is the element that attributes several benefits to these spices. 

Properties and benefits of Cloves

• They help digestion and are useful for reducing flatulence, gastric irritability, dyspepsia, nausea, loss of appetite;

• Boost the immune system;

• They control the level of sugar in the blood; 

• Considered a natural anti-inflammatory, they are a valid support against colds, bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, rheumatism and arthritis. It is recommended to have an infusion of cloves a day or put two cloves in half a liter of boiling water and then vacuum the steam with a nose;

• Improve bone preservation, as they preserve bone density and bone mineral content;

• Considered a natural antioxidant, they protect organs from the effects of free radicals and counteract skin aging;

• Increase the state of preservation of foods, maintaining more their nutritional values;

• They keep bad breath under control;

• They help proper digestion. Through the intake of cloves, the accumulation of toxins and bacteria that cause disorders in our intestines is avoided. 

The spice of cloves can also be exploited for our beauty and body care. Cloves and especially their essential oil, act as a natural remedy to eliminate imperfections and pimples, applying the oil locally on the affected areas.

Clove oil can also be added to our shampoo, to counteract hair loss and strengthen our hair. 

Clove essential oil is an excellent tonic and an invigorating, to be used in times of stress that give tiredness and exhaustion. Effective more physically than mentally, it can also be used, for example, for the bathroom or shower, as a revitalizer.

So including cloves in our diet is definitely beneficial for health. 

Cloves in the kitchen

Cloves can be used both for the preparation of sweets and for recipes of savory dishes. Often they are also used to flavor wine, liqueurs and some desserts, as well as to make infusions and herbal teas (If you leave 4 or 5 to infuse for a few minutes in a cup of boiling water).

They are ideal to accompany meat dishes, soups and soups with meat with a strong flavor, but also to flavor aged cheeses and some vegetables (especially sweet vegetables such as onions and carrots). 

Cloves are also used to flavor preserves in oil and pickles, to make sauces or fillings. 

Do not forget that they are one of the fundamental ingredients for mulled wine!

Alternative use of cloves

The intense, slightly pungent and fruity aroma makes them ideal for keeping moths and butterflies away in home furniture. They can in fact be used, enclosed in a bag, to perfume the linen in the closets and keep moths away, while traditionally a small amount left in a bowl in the pantry avoids the presence, as already mentioned, of those annoying butterflies that attack flour, rice, pasta and biscuits.

You can also put lemon and cloves together on the windowsill to keep flies away.

Contraindications

This spice has no particular contraindications, but they are to be avoided only in case of allergy.