Laung & short of it

Used whole, as a powder or a blend, the clove has gone from being exotic to essential, flavouring dishes that encompass the whole gamut of taste — from bitter, sweet to savoury, write Anurag Mallick & Priya Ganapathy

Orange pomanders

The word ‘clove’ is derived from the Latin word clavus meaning nail, owing to its distinct shape. Interestingly, other cultures and languages too make note of its nail-like appearance — it is Clau in French, Nagel in Dutch, Clavo in Spanish and Cravo in Portuguese. Indians have been using the dried woody brown flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum as a highly aromatic spice for centuries.

In India, the Sanskrit Lavagna derives from Malay Lawang or Javanese Lavan, which in turn spawned similar names in regional languages — laung in Hindi and Punjabi, lavinga in Gujarati and ilavankam in Tamil. It finds mention in ancient Puranas, epic poetry, Ayurveda and the Kathasaritasagara — a tome of legends written by the 11th-century court poet Somadeva. In nature, the clove tree grows 25-40 feet, bears large leaves with crimson clustered blossoms and tips. The buds are initially pale before gaining a green hue that changes to bright red when it is typically harvested. The bud of four closed petals sits like a bead between its four sepals in a 4-pronged diamond-like setting which gives it a nail-like appearance.

Perfect accompaniment

Seated humbly on the kitchen shelf, this tiny spice has been enhancing the cuisines of the world be it Asian, Mediterranean, African, Middle Eastern or even Central and South American fare, with its distinct warm woody spicy-sweet flavour. Cloves are used to prepare ketchup and sauces by studding onions (onion piqué method using a peeled onion cloute or onion studded with cloves and bay leaf) as a flavour booster to sauces like Worcestershire sauce, Béchamel sauce etc., imbuing a strong pungent warmth and flavour. Cloves feature liberally in spice mixes like ras el hanout, curry powders and masalas, mulling spices (used in drinks) and pickling spices. Being strong flavoured, it is used in moderation to enhance the flavour and aroma of biryanis, pulaos and other rice preparations. Whole cloves are often used in ham and meats by simply jabbing them into the flesh for extra flavour. Historically, cloves were studded to game meats like venison, wild boar and hare to enhance the taste.

In India, the clove is used similarly to pin together the sweet Lavang Lata, studded on to laddus or used to staple a paan (betel leaf). Besides flavouring and scenting Indian cuisine in unique ways, its numerous hidden benefits make cloves a regular feature in homemade remedies. Invariably, every grandma recommends clove oil or chewing on a clove for a nasty toothache or dental caries. It acts as a painkiller with its gently numbing comfort providing relief. Ayurvedic healers use cloves to treat respiratory and digestive issues. A panacea for toothache, throat pain, tummy ailments, fighting cholesterol, treating tremors in Parkinson’s disease, aiding weight reduction, blood sugar control, cloves play a vital role in aromatherapy and wellness.

While cloves have been used in India and China for more than 2000 years, the tree is native to the Spice Islands or the five Maluku Islands — Bacan, Makian, Moti, Ternate and Tidor, collectively called the Moluccas archipelago in East Indonesia. Here it grew naturally along with nutmeg and mace for thousands of years. The islanders would plant clove trees to mark the birth of a child and tended to it believing that the tree was linked to the child’s well-being.

Spice wars

It is believed that the oldest clove tree grew in Ternate and was called ‘Afo’. During the Middle Ages, the Arabs held sway over trade in the Indian Ocean followed by the Portuguese and Spanish during the 15th century. The discovery of cloves and nutmeg and the lure of lucre launched the Spice Wars of the colonial powers. People widely planted cloves in the 16-17th century and the Dutch East India Company gained a monopoly over the crop. The ambition for absolute control made the Dutch run clove tree burning campaigns to destroy cultivation in zones outside their command, thereby incurring the wrath of the natives as the trees were intrinsic to their culture.

In 1770, the French managed to secretly sneak the clove tree into Mauritius via horticulturist Pierre Poivre, dubbed ‘Peter Pepper, robber of clove and nutmeg’. He smuggled five sprouts of the ancient Afo clove tree from the Moluccas; the only sapling that survived initiated the spice plantations in Madagascar and Reunion and the rest of the world… and overthrew Dutch supremacy over clove trade! Subsequently, cultivation was introduced in Guinea, Brazil, the West Indies and Zanzibar. During the 17th and 18th centuries, clove was worth its weight in gold in Britain. It is rather ironic how a tiny flower bud with extraordinary qualities and value could spark off so many wars and bloodshed and ultimately redraw the power map of the world.

Sri Lanka became one of the major suppliers of clove to Europe and recently, remains of a rare sample of clove dating to 900-1100 AD besides black pepper, was unearthed at the ancient port of Mantai revealing the existence of a thriving age-old shipping trade route from the Moluccas to Sri Lanka nearly 7000 km away via Southeast Asia from where it was transported to India, Rome and Arabia! Another archaeological dig in Syria uncovered spices including cloves that date back to nearly 4000 years, approximately 1721 BC! How they got there would retrace the story of trade.

Divine flower

In India, clove has been a treasured spice celebrated as the ‘divine flower’ in the early texts dating to 800 AD. In Hinduism, clove is regarded as sacred and features in some texts and astrology as a remedy against negativity or money, and prosperity related problems. Often offering cloves, burning cloves in oil or according to Tantra Shashtra worshipping Goddess Lakshmi with rose petals and cloves is believed to attract good luck and fortune. In Medieval Europe, cloves were in huge demand for medicine and culinary use and also during Christmas to prepare treats and mulled wine. German herbalists used it to treat gout. In China and Japan, apart from its use in medicine to tackle indigestion, diarrhoea, hernia, ringworm and fungal infections, cloves were used as air perfumers and in the incense industry.

Eugenol, the star component found in clove essential oil is responsible for its prized value owing to its unique properties. It has antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anaesthetic and anti-cancer and chemopreventive properties. Dentistry too has adopted clove and its extracts for dental care and dental preparations — from mouthwashes, and toothpaste to dressings, fillings and cavity liners! Eugenol is used extensively in pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, fragrance, flavour and cosmetic industries. It’s a safe pesticide and fumigant in agriculture too! Farmers use it to prevent microbial or fungal growth in fruits and vegetables. It is used to flavour whiskey and in making spiced rum besides baking and ice cream making.

However, one of the most fascinating uses of cloves is as a fruit pomander, a modern adaptation of an ancient jewelled accessory. Originally, popular during the Middle Ages, pomander (from the French term pomme d’ambre literally ‘apple of amber’) was a perforated perfume ball carried in a vase or hung from a chain or girdle, as a religious keepsake to ward off pestilence, infections and bad odours. Today, spiced orange pomanders are riveting natural air fresheners made by sticking cloves in myriad designs into oranges often dusted with cinnamon. Placed in a bowl or tied on ribbons and left to dry and dangle for a few days, orange pomanders are especially widespread during festivals like Christmas, Halloween or Thanksgiving and a delightful way to scent your home or closet!

(The authors are travel and food writers “loosely based” in Bengaluru. They’ve authored guides and coffee table books including a cookbook for the USDA called ‘Southern Comfort: Southern American Soul Food’, set up an award-winning restaurant and curated the India episode of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, Season 2. Follow their adventures on Instagram: @red_scarab)