All About of Cloves | The Strong Bitter Sweet Spice Laung

The content of es­sential oil in cloves of good quality may exceed 15%. Cloves also contain about 2% of the triterpene oleanolic acid.

The oil itself is domi­nated by eugenol (70 to 85%), eugenol acetate (15%) and β‑caryo­phyllene (5 to 12%), which together make up 99% of the oil.

Originating from the ‘Spice Islands’ of the Moluccas, now in modern-day Indonesia, the clove is a spice which has been long been transported across the globe.

Throughout history it has been highly sought-after by buyers, from the street markets of ancient Rome to the narrow souks of the Arabian peninsula.

Today cloves are grown across four of the world’s continents, and can be found from Brazil to Zanzibar, and from the West Indies to India.

They were probably imported from the Spice Islands into China more than 2000 years ago.

The first references to cloves are found in Asian literature from the Chinese Han period under the name “chicken-tongue spice”.

As early as 200 BCE, envoys from Java to the Han-dynasty court of China brought cloves that were customarily held in the mouth to perfume the breath during audiences with the emperor.

In the Moluccas Islands (now part of Indonesia), where cloves were first discovered, parents planted a clove tree when a child was born.

During the late Middle Ages, cloves were used in Europe to preserve, flavour, and garnish food.

The lure of cloves and nutmeg attracted the Portuguese to the Spice Islands in 1514; they were followed by the Dutch in 1605, and they retained control over the trade until late in the 18th century.

It is believed that some of the most influential explorers owe their success to cloves.

This includes Christopher Columbus – who had heard of this great spice and was searching for the Spice Islands when he stumbled upon the West Indies.

Ferdinand Magellan – who returned from his circumnavigation with so many tons of cloves that the earnings from them paid for his entire expedition.

Clove cultivation was primarily confined to Indonesia. In the early 17th century the Dutch eradicated cloves on all islands except Amboina and Ternate in order to create scarcity and sustain high prices.

In the latter half of the 18th century the French smuggled cloves from the East Indies to Indian Ocean islands and the New World, breaking the Dutch monopoly.

In the early 21st century, Indonesia was the world’s largest producer of cloves, followed by Madagascar, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka.

Both cloves or laung and its oil are stimulant, aromatic, and carminative.

• People use the oils, dried flower buds, leaves, and stems to make medicine.
• Oil of cloves is a natural analgesic and antiseptic used primarily in dentistry for its main ingredient eugenol.
• Research shows that using a toothpaste or mouth rinse containing clove and other ingredients helps to reduce plaque on the teeth.
• Taking an extract from clove flower buds right before drinking alcohol improves hangover symptoms in some people.
• Cloves in substance or infusion are sometimes given to relieve nausea and vomiting, more especially the vomiting of pregnancy
• Applying clove oil to the palms for 2 weeks helps reduce excessive sweating of the palms.
• Applying clove oil or clove oil gel directly to the skin can repel mosquitos for up to 5 hours.
• Taking an extract from clove flower buds seems to lower blood sugar levels before and after a meal.
• Applying a solution containing clove oil gel on the skin can help with severe itching.
• The oil of cloves sometimes provides relief when introduced into the cavity of a decaying tooth.
• Cloves are used in spice cookies & cakes and are also an important ingredient on Garam Masala & Chinese five-spice powder.
• Much of the world crop is used in Indonesia for Clove cigarettes, called “kreteks”.
• Clove oil also is used in non-medicinal applications, such as for producing synthetic vanilla, as a flavour intensifier, and in perfumes.
• Clove oil also is used for anesthetizing and in higher doses euthanizing fish.
• It is a component of all natural herbicide called “Perfectly Natural Weed & Grass Killer.”
• The clove oil is the only active ingredient, and it is very effective at killing many types of plants.

Its pungent but sweet flavour has been described as “intense enough to burn the palate”.

The characteristic flavor of cloves mainly comes from the aromatic compound “eugenol” which comprises upwards of 85% of the essential oil composition.

Cloves can also cause a numbing sensation in the mouth. This is because the eugenol found in cloves is a natural anesthetic. It was traditionally used to numb and reduce toothache pain.

Cloves can be used easily to overwhelm a dish, predominantly when ground, so only a few need to be used.

Cloves or Laung has been used in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for mouth ulcers, digestive problems, and even depression.

The seeds, oils and extracts of cloves are known to have impressive medicinal properties.

Rasa (Taste): Katu (Pungent), Tikta (Bitter)
Guna (Qualities): Laghu (Light to Digest), Snigdha (Oily, Unctous)
Veerya (Potency): Sheeta (Cold)
Vipaka (Taste conversion after digestion): Katu (Pungent)
Karma (Actions): It balances Pitta, and Kapha.

Ground Cloves add spicy depth to various recipes. As a culinary spice, cloves impart a strong aroma and pungent taste that have enhanced the human enjoyment of many foods in cuisines all over the world.

• Add cloves to gingerbread, cookies, applesauce, muffins, cakes, and other sweets.
• It’s a secret ingredient in ketchup & sauces like barbecue and cocktail sauces.
• Cloves also outline the flavor of Worcestershire sauce.
• Complete cloves are regularly used to stud hams and animal protein, pushing the pointed end into the meat like a nail.
• Blend ground cloves with maple syrup and drizzle over cooked sweet potatoes and winter squash.
• Add a few whole cloves to bean and split pea soups.
• Cloves are frequently used to improve the flavour of the game, particularly venison, wild boar and hare.
• A studded onion is commonly used to pass on an elusive nature to courts-bouillon, stock and soup recipes.
• In all Indian homes, it is used as a culinary spice as the flavour blends well with both sweet and savoury dishes.
• In the North Indian cuisine, it is used in almost every sauce or side dish, mostly ground up along with other spices.
• In the south Indian cuisine, it finds extensive use in the biryani and other rice dishes.
• Clove has stimulating properties and is one of the ingredients of betel (paan) chewing.
• They are used in a number of spice combination including Indian garam masala, Chinese five-spice powder, ras el hanout, curry powders and pickling spices.
• In Mexican cuisine, they are usually paired with cinnamon and cumin.
• In France, cloves often go into long-simmered meat stews or hearty meat broths.
• In England, they are most popular in pickles. British cooks also employ them for meat and scrambled eggs.
• They are one of the primary ingredients in Indian chai tea and a prominent flavour in pho, a Vietnamese beef broth with noodles.
• It is also used for flavoring drinks, like mulled wine and hot apple cider.

Cloves are an ancient spice and, because of their exceptional aromatic strength, have always been held in high esteem by cooks in Europe, Northern Africa the greater part of Asia.

Whether it’s a tomato, mango, or garlic chutney, adding a few whole cloves will give it a distinct warm flavour and aroma. Any garam masala is incomplete without clove powder.

Whole cloves are either removed before serving or picked out of the dish. Even when cooked, whole cloves have a very hard, woody texture that is unpleasant to bite into.

Unopened flower buds are the part of clove tree that comes spice once it gets dried. This dried spice is extensively used in the Asian, African and middle east countries for the cooking purposes.

In traditional medicine, healers use the oils, dried flower buds, leaves, and stems to make medicine.

• Ground Cloves – Ground cloves seeds or powder has a shelf life of only a few months because the essential oils begin to dissipate as soon as the seeds are ground. It does not spoil, but it will start to lose potency over time.
• Fresh cloves – Properly stored, cloves seed will generally stay at best quality for about 3 to 4 years.

• Ground Cloves – Ground/powder clove should be stored in the refrigerator in airtight containers and should be used as early as possible since it loses its flavor quickly.
• Whole cloves or laung – Whole cloves should be stored in a cool dark place in closed containers for many months and can be milled using a “hand mill” as and when required.

Check the spice aisle first for cloves pods and ground cloves. However, it is better and cheaper to buy whole cloves and grind them to use as required by the recipe.

Cloves are also sold ground or in the form of clove oil, which can be purchased in pure or diluted form.

Buy cloves or laung on Amazon: India | USA

Syzygium aromaticum (clove) is a traditional spice that has been used for food preservation and possesses various pharmacological activities.

Several reports documented the analgesic, antioxidant, anticancer, antiseptic, anti-depressant, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial activity of eugenol against several pathogenic bacteria.

Read on to find out about the health benefits of cloves or health benefits of laung:

1. Health benefits of cloves as an antioxidant – Many of the vitamins, phytonutrients, and essential oil eugenol in cloves act as antioxidants, cleaning up free radicals and resisting cellular ageing. Antioxidants have been linked to lower blood pressure as well.
2. Health benefits of laung for bad breath – According to Chinese traditional medicine, bad breath is a result of Qi stagnation. Clove encourages Qi flow and has been used in Chinese medicine as a home remedy for bad breath. Clove cleans the tongue, palate and upper part of the throat of any bacteria or decaying matter and its strong aromatic qualities alter the smell within the mouth.
3. Health benefits of cloves in digestion – Essential oils like eugenic acid and crategolic acid present in cloves aid in digestion. Clove oil was shown to increase the production of gastric mucus. Gastric mucus functions as a barrier and helps prevent erosion of the stomach lining from digestive acids. This a very important health benefits of cloves.
4. Health benefits of laung for bone health – The hydro-alcoholic extracts of cloves such as eugenol, flavones, isoflavones and flavonoids protect bone density and mineral content of bone, as well as increase the tensile strength of bones. Manganese is a mineral that’s involved in the formation of bone and incredibly important to bone health. It is abundantly found in cloves (almost 40%).
5. Health benefits of cloves for diabetics – There is some evidence that clove may benefit people with diabetes or prediabetes. This is based on research that suggests that clove may help reduce blood sugar (glucose) before and after eating food.
6. Health benefits of laung for liver protection – The high antioxidant content in cloves protect organs from the harmful effects of free radicals, particularly the liver. Eugenol found in cloves helped reverse signs of liver cirrhosis or scarring of the liver. In the long run, metabolism increases free radical production while simultaneously decreasing the level of antioxidants in the liver. Cloves counteract those effects with its hepatoprotective properties.
7. Health benefits of cloves as an aphrodisiac – Cloves work as an aphrodisiac agent, increasing testosterone levels in men, improving sexual performance and preventing premature ejaculation.
8. Health benefits of laung as an immunity booster – The anti-viral and blood purification properties of clove reduce toxicity in blood and increase resistance against a multitude of diseases by stimulating antioxidant activity throughout the body, thus boosting the immune system.
9. Health benefits of cloves reduce stress – Clove tea made with basil, cardamom and honey soothes the senses and relieves stress and muscle spasms.
10. Health benefits of laung in oral hygiene – Many of the health benefits of clove oil are thought to result from its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. Clove oil is perhaps best known as a remedy for toothache and dental pain.
11. Health benefits of cloves for skin care – Topical application of clove oil removes acne due to its antimicrobial properties. Clove oil exfoliates blemishes and scars making the skin appear clear and healthy.
12. Health benefits of laung to improve breathing – Clove oil treats respiratory ailments like bronchitis, colds, sinusitis and asthma because of its anti-inflammatory, expectorant and antibacterial properties. Inhaling clove oil in a vaporizer loosens mucus in the respiratory passages, improves breathing and treats congestion.

While generally recognized as safe for topical use, clove oil has been found to impact the diversity of the intestinal microbiota when ingested.

It is generally recommended not to ingest clove oil in large amounts. If swallowed, cloves may cause a burning sensation.

Applying clove oil to the skin or gums, or using it as a mouthwash, is recommended instead. While a direct link between clove oil use and its issues is not proven, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) are the aromatic flower buds of a tree Syzygium aromaticum, in the Myrtaceae family.

They are native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia and are commonly used as a spice.

Laung or Cloves are best known for their powerful aroma that can add intense warmth to any dish they are added to.

Cloves are a popular spice around the world and are used in a wide range of international cuisines.

From the ayurvedic perspective, laung or cloves have great medicinal importance for the treatment of various ailments.

The easiest way to harness the health benefits of cloves is to add it to your daily food intake. An interesting fact about cloves is, while they are hot in taste, it is cooling in its trait.

Although cloves are available in both whole and ground form, culinarily cloves are preferred whole, as the whole bud contains far more flavour and aroma prior to being ground.

This article is for general information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition/s.

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