Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum spp.)
MYRTACEAE, Myrtle Family
The monopoly was broken when clove trees were smuggled outside the Moluccas. Live plants were brought to French Mauritius by Pierre Poivre in 1770; but despite a ban, plants were then carried to the French Seychelles. The British became involved in the early 1800s, when plantations were established in Zanzibar (Tanzania), which is now the largest exporter of cloves. The second largest exporter is Madagascar (the Malagasy Republic), which received its first mainland clove plantations in 1900.
Clove comes from the French clou, which means nail. This refers to the whole clove, which botanically is a flower bud that is collected just before it opens. These flower buds are sorted on coconut mats (Cocos) and then sunned on palm mats or concrete floors. While drying, the buds are raked to promote uniform color and to stop the growth of fungi. The trees are grown intercropped with bananas (Musa), which shade them during early stages of growth. Once mature, a tree flowers twice a year.
The flower buds, stems, and leaves all contain very strong-smelling chemicals, including phenols, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and other aromatics. Eugenol is extracted from the leaves, and this is used as a special oil, especially in dentistry (temporary fillings) as a disinfectant and mild anesthetic, and to make synthetic vanillin. A very important use of cloves in the Old World is in the manufacture of kretek cigarettes (tobacco + cloves). Smoking clove cigarettes and cigars may be hazardous to your health!