Clove
Cloves are the unopened buds of the clove tree (Syzygium aromaticum) that are handpicked and dried until they are hard and dark brown in colour. They are about half an inch long and with their tapering stems, resemble nails in appearance. In fact, the word 'clove' is believed to have been derived from the Latin clavus meaning 'nail'.
Cloves have a rich history of use as spice and medicine in Asia, dating back more than 2,000 years. Writings from the Han dynasty in China (207 BC) mention that courtiers were required to keep cloves in their mouths while talking to the emperor, to ensure that their breath did not smell offensive.
In India, the clove - known as laung in Hindi, lavang or lavanga in several other Indian languages, and grambu in Tamil and Malayalam - has been used since ancient times by Ayurvedic physicians to treat various respiratory and digestive ailments.
The clove is rich in traditionally recognised nutrients, being an excellent source of manganese, a very good source of vitamin K and dietary fibre, and a good source of iron, calcium and magnesium. In addition, clove oil contains a compound named eugenol, which has been proved to provide relief from pain. When the oil is applied topically, it relieves pain from rheumatism, arthritis and other inflammation based pain.
Clove oil is an active ingredient in several dental products such as mouthwashes, toothpastes and over-the-counter medicines for toothache relief. Traditional Chinese medicine makes use of cloves in remedies for nausea, diarrhoea, hiccups, fever, toothache and bad breath.
The clove, in whole and ground form, is a popular ingredient in Asian, African, Middle Eastern and European cuisines. The clove finds extensive use in Indian cuisine, and is used in the preparation of several spice mixtures, including garam masala, curry powders, and pickling spices. In the West, cloves have a traditional association with apple tarts, sauces, pies and puddings.
