Now that we've weathered the latest arctic blast, I'm profiling a warming herb that many of us haven't seen outside of the spice cabinet: clove. Cloves are actually the dried flower bud (not seed!) of the Syzygium aromaticum tree. Navite to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, clove has become a signature spice and flavoring of toothpaste, soaps, cosmetics and culinary favorites.
Cloves are a popular culinary spice, often accompanied by cinnamon, cumine, allspice or citrus peels. It has been used as a meet rub or marinade, a tea blend with other chai-like spices, or as a spice blend for popular dishes including arroz con leche. Cloves have many medicinal benefits, often used as an antiseptic/anti-inflammatory support for toothaches and digestive ailmements. Clove oil has been used a powerful perservative and as an analgesic. Some studies have shown cloves' effectiveness as a mosquito repellent and to reduce fevers.
Clove trees are tall evergreen trees grown in the mediterranean region. This video shows the time-consuming process of harvesting the flower buds and drying them into the common spice we know in our pantry. Cloves embedded in an orange were often used as pomanders, or a 'ball made for perfumes' - use to protect against infection or ward off molds and disease. Another common use of pomander during the winter months is the 'simmer pots' that we've seen so often on social media - boiling clove with citrus peels and other spices (cinnamon bark, coriander seed, etc) help to disinfect the air and provide an uplifting energy to any space.
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