Cloves

About Cloves

Cloves are the dried flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum with essential oil containing up to 90% eugenol. A cornerstone of dental medicine and key ingredient in perfumery. Medieval Europeans paid fortunes for cloves from the Spice Islands — they drove the entire Age of Exploration.

Health Benefits

• •Eugenol is a powerful natural anaesthetic — effective for dental pain relief
• •Strongest antioxidant ORAC value of any food measured
• •Antimicrobial against bacteria responsible for food spoilage
• •Anti-inflammatory properties shown in multiple peer-reviewed studies

Culinary & Industrial Uses

• •Garam masala, biryani and Mughlai preparations
• •European mulled wine, Christmas pudding and spiced baked goods
• •Dental preparations — clove oil used directly by dentists
• •Perfumery and kretek cigarette flavouring in Indonesia

Processing & Grades

Hand-harvested as unopened buds at optimal development stage, sun-dried to deep brown. Graded by bud size and essential oil content (minimum 15%). Available whole, stems or processed to powder.