Clove
A clove (Syzygium aromaticum, syn. Eugenia aromaticum or Eugenia caryophyllata) is an aromatic dried flower bud of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to Indonesia. A clove tree is an evergreen and grows to the height of 8-12 m. The part used in cookery is a dried flower bud. Cloves are harvested primarily in Zanzibar, Indonesia and Madagascar; it is also grown in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, where they call it lavang.
Clove | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | |
Division: | |
Class: | |
Order: | |
Family: | |
Genus: | |
Species: | S. aromaticum
|
Binomial name | |
Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merrill & Perry
|
Use in cooking
Cloves are used in cooking, whole or ground. If you put whole cloves in a ham, they will impart their flavour to the meat. Dried cloves are a key spice in India.
History
Cloves were once traded in Portugal. Clove was once one of the most valuable spices, a kg costing 7 g of gold.
Clove Media
Austronesian proto-historic and historic maritime trade network in the Indian Ocean
The compound eugenol is responsible for most of the characteristic aroma of cloves.
Cloves used in an orange as a pomander
Other websites
Media related to Clove at Wikimedia Commons