CLOVES: AN AROMATIC SPICE

Family: Myrtaceae

Latin name: Syzygium aromaticum

The pungent and savory aroma of cloves makes any dish more appetizing and attractive. In fact, cloves are not only an important ingredient of many east Asian dishes but also a cure for a number of health disorders. Despite their small size, cloves have a rich chemical composition and a great health-giving power.

Botanical Description

Cloves are fragrant dried flower buds that come from an evergreen tree Syzygium aromaticum. The plant originates from the Maluku islands, Indonesia. Nowadays it grows mainly in Asian and east African regions. The tree is usually about 8-11 m tall. The leaves are large; the flowers change their color from pale green to red. They are produced in clusters. People harvest cloves when they reach the length of about 1.5-2 cm. They typically consist of an oblong calyx, 4 unopened petals and 4 sepals

Key Components

• Vitamins A, В (В1, В2, В3 or РР, В4, В6, В9), C, E, K
• Minerals (manganese, calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, zinc, iron)
• Eugenol
• Tannins
• Protein
• Fiber

Indian Spicy Coffee Recipe

What you need:

• 1 glass of milk
• 1 glass of  water
• 3-4 cloves
• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp of ground nutmeg
• 2 grated cardamom seeds
• 1tsp of finely chopped ginger root
• 3-4 fresh mint leaves
• 1 tbsp of coffee.

Add all the spices, ginger and mint leaves to the boiling water. Then bring this mixture to a boil (not completely, until the bubbles appear) and add coffee. Then boil it again and add milk. Reduce the heat and bring the mixture to a boil once again. Add some sugar according to your taste and let stand for about 5 minutes. Your warming and healthy drink is ready!