Introduction
*Cloves are the dried flower buds of the trees of the genus Eugenia, native to India and Indonesia.
*Dried cloves are dark brown in color and look like ‘nails’ with a small stem at the end of which is a small ball like bud surrounded by 4 small sepals.
*Cloves have a strong spicy aroma and a hot taste.
*They are used whole or in ground form in both sweet and savory dishes and also in spiced teas.
*Cloves have an essential oil with medicinal properties, which is used to cure common ailments like mild pains, indigestion, etc.
*Buying and storage: Select fresh, healthy-looking, strongly aromatic whole or ground cloves. Store them in airtight containers in a cupboard away from light and heat. They keep fresh for about 6 months in the cupboard. They can be refrigerated to increase their shelf life.
Is it raw?
Yes and No.
*Yes, whole cloves are raw or sundried, and ground cloves are mostly raw.
*No, because sometimes cloves are dry roasted before grinding into a powder.
Make sure you read the label.
Health Benefits
1. Cloves contain an essential oil that has an active component called eugenol that is responsible for its medicinal properties.
2. Eugenol has a mild anesthetic and anti-bacterial properties. And so cloves and clove oil have been successfully used in relieving pain from swollen gums, tooth pain, and also to treat infections.
3. Cloves have flavonoids like kaemferol and rhamnetin, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
4. Cloves are also used in traditional medicine to treat minor illness like indigestion, aches and pains, cold and flu, etc.
5. A lot other nutrients are present in anise seeds, but as anise seeds are used in very small amounts, they do not provide any nutritional benefits.
|
Prev
