Everybody loves cloves
- Spices
Dec 13 2022
By Christabel Tonugble
One of the widely used spices in the world is cloves. Cloves are one of Ghana's most widely used spices, which is not surprising. It is originally an Indian traditional herb (botanical name Syzygium aromaticum. Such a mouthful!) Locally, they’re known in Twi as Dadoa Amba or Pepre and Mbrego Amba in Fante.
Cloves are the unopened pink flower buds of the clove tree. The gathered buds are dried until they turn brown and resemble tiny nails. In a sea of spices, they are impossible to miss. Cloves have a hard exterior, yet their flesh contains oil that gives them nutrients and flavour.
Fortunately, they’re available all year round. You can never run out of cloves!
NUTRITIONAL PROFILE
Cloves are a great source of manganese, dietary fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and calcium. All this goodness in one spice? It does get better than this.
Cloves are excellent for
- toothache, mouth and throat inflammation, and bad breath.
- aphrodisiacs
- relieving nausea, vomiting, flatulence
- The eugenol found in cloves contains antibacterial properties, aids in the control of diabetes, and lessens neurological issues.
USE IN GHANAIAN DISHES
They can be used in savoury and sweet dishes, just like many other spices. They’re great for porridge, sauces and generally tomato-based soups and stews. This means that they can be used in nearly all cuisines since Ghanaians adore tomatoes. Also, ground cloves, in combination with nutmeg or cinnamon are a baker’s delight.
Finally, one thing that shouldn’t exist without cloves is SOBOLO (Spiced Hibiscus Drink)
WHAT TO KNOW
Cloves can overpower the taste of dishes and so should be used in the right proportions.
With regard to storage, they should be kept in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark and dry place or refrigerated.
Cloves are not a commonly allergenic food.
Whole cloves are usually taken out of dishes before serving.
Ground cloves have greater flavour compared to whole cloves; slightly less should be used.
Find out more here:
- https://yen.com.gh/112963-30-common-spices-in-ghana-local-names-uses.htmlphytojournal.com
- Kumar, K. S., Yadav, A., Srivastava, S., Paswan, S., & sankar Dutta, A. (2012). Recent trends in Indian traditional herbs Syzygium aromaticum and its health benefits. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 1(1), 13-22.
- Cloves, C. Cloves Cloves-health.