cloves

The Europeans fought and clawed to get to the East Indies for spices in the 1500. The Dutch triumphed because of their more powerful ships and guns. And then in the 20th century, the American company, McCormick is a leading spice company in a different sense. Singapore warehouses are always full of bags of spices, especially cloves, from Indonesida. "The spice of life" continues to leave our lips. And we never miss to check if we have enough cloves in our spice cupboard.

Pungent, sweet and strong, clove is an important part of the 5 spice powder and is used in making tea, curry powder,chutneys and achar.

Besides, it has been known for centuries by both the Chinese and the Indians as an important cure for lack of energy and sexual disorder. A tea made from only half a teaspoon of clove powder can do wonders to a person's body. It is just as simple as that according to Chinese traditional doctors and Indian ayurvedic practitioners.
But be warned, it is not for those who are already overheated or afraid of heaty food. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why so many men like to smoke kretek cigarettes which are spiced by cloves.

Cloves are the rich, brown, dried, unopened flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum, an evergreen tree in the myrtle family. The name comes from the French "clou" meaning nail.

Cloves come from Madagascar, Brazil, Panang, and Ceylon.

Cloves are used in spice cookies and cakes.

Ambiona is the original home of cloves and the Dutch are well known for having a monopoly of its trade sicne 1600 until 1816 when a bloody war between them and the Indonesians changed the history of SE Asia forever.


Other interesting facts are listed below:

Cloves are an important ingredient in the spice blends of Sri Lanka and North India. They are used in garam masala, biryanis, and pickles.
In the U.S., cloves are used in meats, salad dressings, and desserts.
Clove is a key flavor contributor to ketchup and Worcestershire sauce seasoning blends.
Chinese and German seasonings also depend on Cloves to flavor meats and cookies.