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Cloves were widely used in Europe in the 4th Century; they used
cloves for their strong fragrance. Cloves combined with other herbs and
spices with put into pomanders as prevention against the plague and
infection.
The clove
tree is a tropical evergreen which grows to 65ft in height, with soft grey bark
and dark green leaves that have a leathery texture. Fragrant green bulbs
(cloves) appear at the end of the branches, gradually they will turn red, and if
unpicked develop into flowers. Cloves are grown in the tropics, and require an
annual minimum of sixty inches of rain. The buds are harvested in the dry
season by hand, opened and dried on palm mats.
Medicinal
If you have
toothache, soak a cotton bud into the oil of cloves and it will ease the pain,
as it has antiseptic and analgesic properties. Clove will help relieve nausea
and control vomiting. Clove has digestive properties; it is also used for
flatulence and diarrhoea. Clove has been used to treat hernia, ringworm and
athlete’s foot since ancient Chinese times, and also fungal infections.
Culinary
When using
clove in cooking be careful as clove has a very strong flavour and little needs
to be used. Use clove either whole of ground, clove can be add to soups and
stews or curries, whole cloves are usually studded into an ingredient , such as
onions or potatoes. In India, cloves are used to enhance many sauces and are
also combined with other spices to marinade meats. Clove tea is a wonderfully
refreshing drink. Try cloves with fish dishes and add to vinegars when pickling.
Cloves are also used to enhance the flavour when baking cakes.
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