Sharp and fruity, with a flavor that hints of cinnamon, pepper, and a little heat, reddish-brown Ground Cloves is an unforgettable spice. Their aroma is warm and assertive with a piney essence that floats around the top of the spice, and peppery undertones. The dried flower bud of an Indonesian evergreen tree, cloves are rich in essential oils and are often separated into products from the stem, leaf, or bud of the clove, with the bud being the most desirable product. Our Ground Cloves come from the oil-rich bud and guarantee a minimum of 10% volatile oil. While these oils are valued for their pungent flavor, they also contain antiseptic and anesthetic qualities, which is why Ground Cloves can impart a numbing sensation in the mouth.

Arborists believe that the oldest clove tree in the world, that the locals have named “Afo”, is between 350 and 400 years old and is located on the island of Ternate. At the height of the maritime spice wars in the 15- and 1600s, cloves were traded much like oil is today; with a strict limit on the amount available for export in order to keep the prices high. In 1652 the Netherlands United East India Company embarked on a policy of “extirpation”, and any clove tree they did not own was burned to the ground. Somehow, and it is not clear how, Afo survived this. Netherlands United maintained impenetrable control of Indonesian clove trees until 1770 when a Frenchman—named Pierre Poivre, or Peter Pepper, and that’s no lie—stole clove seedlings and smuggled them to Zanzibar, breaking the stranglehold the Netherlands had on clove production.

Tips From Our Kitchen

Add a dash of Ground Cloves to baked beans, barbecue rubs and sauces. Their aromatic quality shines in Cincinnati chili. Ground Cloves are excellent with poached apples, or mixed into eggs for French toast. They have a sturdy flavor that doesn’t dissipate so sauté with onions as a flavor base for a hearty beef stew, a North African tagine, or a rich Indian curry, like vindaloo. Both whole and ground cloves are potent, so use them in small increments. For a serving of 4, use approximately 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; you can always add more, but you can’t take ground spices out. We also have Whole Cloves available if you prefer to use them that way.

Our cloves are cultivated in Indonesia.

This product is certified kosher.

Hungry for more information?

Moroccan Spices and Dishes
Volatile Oils of Spices
The Must-Have Spices for Your Kitchen
BBC News: The World's Oldest Clove Tree