Definition
A Comorian spice: the Comoros is the world's second-largest producer.
Details
Cloves are the dried flower buds of the clove tree (Syzygium aromaticum), picked before they open and sun-dried until they take on their characteristic dark brown colour. The Comoros is the world's second-largest clove producer, and the crop accounts for a significant share of the archipelago's farm income. Their essential oil, rich in eugenol (70 to 90%), gives them the antiseptic, anaesthetic and antioxidant properties recognised in traditional medicine. In the kitchen they perfume broths, marinades, spice breads and hot drinks (tea, masala coffee). In the Comoros they go into m'tsolola (a slow-cooked stew) and festive dishes. A single whole clove is enough to release a powerful, warm fragrance.