Spice clove: useful properties and contraindications, recipes and treatment

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

In the kitchen of any housewife you can find spices. Among them, there will definitely be a carnation. These are small dark brown sticks that have a spherical shape at one end. The seasoning is loved for its bitter, spicy taste and rich aroma. It is an integral part of many culinary masterpieces.

A bit of history

The carnation became known for 1500 years BC. e. It was first mentioned in medical and Ayurvedic treatises of that time. The birthplace of cloves is the Spice Islands. This is what the Moluccas are called. It was there that clove trees grew. The buds of flowering trees that did not have time to bloom were dried in the sun and used in medicine. With the help of cloves, they treated rheumatism, disinfected wounds and fought parasites living in the body. It gained popularity in China 2500 years ago. Cloves have been used as a remedy for bad breath and toothache. To do this, it was enough to chew a few flowers for about 2 minutes. The carnation came to Europe even before the adoption of Christianity. They took her from Malaysia to Alexandria along the Red Sea. Then merchants bought cloves and shipped them to other cities and countries as a seasoning. The spice was expensive, and they could pay with it instead of money. In addition, it was necessary to prove their right to trade in cloves. Starting from the 18th century, this spice began to be produced on an industrial scale, and Tanzania became its cultural center. Today, cloves are also grown in Indonesia, Malaysia, Ceylon and Madagascar.

Composition of cloves

If you get acquainted with the composition of this spice, it will become clear that it is no coincidence that people attributed healing properties to it. Clove contains a fair amount of B vitamins, vitamins A and E that give youth and beauty to the skin, vitamin K promotes blood clotting. It also contains zinc, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, selenium, copper, manganese, iron. 100 g of product contains 20 g of fat, 6 g of protein, 27 g of carbohydrates, 34 g of fiber, 6 g of water. Cloves are 20% essential oil. It is often included in the composition of perfumes or eau de toilette. Looking at the composition of the spice, it can be compared with multivitamins. However, cloves (spice) have useful properties and contraindications. For medicinal purposes, it must be used carefully.

Harm cloves

There is no doubt about the obvious benefits of this spice, but not everyone can use it. Known to have cloves(spice) useful properties and contraindications.

1. Spice should not be eaten by pregnant and lactating women, as well as children under two years old.
2. It is contraindicated in patients with hypertension.
3. For people with gastrointestinal problems, cloves (useful properties and contraindications are discussed in the article) are not recommended. The use of seasoning should be limited to those who suffer from peptic ulcers, gastritis with high acidity, increased fatigue, overexertion.
4. One should not forget about the beneficial properties and contraindications of cloves when using clove oil for medicinal purposes. Inside, it is taken on a full stomach no more than three drops per day, washed down with plenty of water.

Clove in medicine

Due to its composition, this spice is still popular with lovers of traditional medicine. But she does not tolerate careless treatment. Like any medicine, cloves (spice) have useful properties and contraindications. Treatment should be carried out carefully, strictly following the recipe.

1. Arthritis. Add 5-7 drops of clove oil to your regular massage oil and rub it on the sore joint.
2. Ear pain. Take a glass of sesame oil, throw 5 cloves into it and boil for 15 minutes. Cool down. Place 3 drops three times a day in the affected ear.
3. Digestion problems. Add a pinch of ground cloves and black pepper to a teaspoon of honey. It should be taken before meals twice a day. People having problemswith the gastrointestinal tract, should use a seasoning such as cloves with caution. Useful properties and contraindications must be considered equally. And it’s better to get a doctor’s consultation before starting to use a folk remedy.
4. Inflammation of the eyes. Chop 1 clove bud. Combine the powder with water in such a way that a slurry is obtained. Apply it on the affected eye. Treatment is carried out for several days.
5. Cold, cough, runny nose. Grind a clove to a powder and mix it with a teaspoon of honey. Eat the mixture very slowly, slowly dissolve.
6. Cholera. In Asia, this disease is treated with a decoction of cloves. 5 spice buds are added to three liters of water and boiled down to 1 liter. The resulting decoction is drunk until recovery.
7. Toothache. Chew 1 clove bud for a couple of minutes. The same method will help freshen your breath.

Clove (spice): useful properties and contraindications. Recipes in cosmetology

Carnation is unique in its properties. It is often found in creams, lotions, balms. It can also be used at home. But no matter how good the cloves are, the beneficial properties and contraindications must be taken into account when using it.

You can make a refreshing mask. Take a tablespoon of pharmacy clay and cream (you can use milk) and mix with three drops of clove and mint oil. Add a teaspoon of honey if desired. Mix the ingredients until smooth. Overlaymixture on the face, soak for 5 minutes. Wash your face with water and lubricate the skin with a nourishing cream.

Clove oil will help get rid of acne, blackheads, wounds. Soak a cotton swab lightly in it, wipe the problem areas of the skin. Do the procedure 1 time daily. Clove oil will help make the skin more toned. Take a portion of the day cream, enough for one application, and add 1 drop of oil to it.

For oily skin, mix with a teaspoon of cosmetic 2 drops of clove essential oil. Apply daily. Using spice for cosmetic purposes, you need to remember that cloves have useful properties and contraindications. Recipes must be strictly followed, otherwise you can get severe burns.

Clove in cooking

The traditional way to use cloves in the kitchen is to prepare vegetable, meat, mushroom marinades. The spice gives dishes a piquant taste and is an excellent preservative. It goes well with cabbage and other vegetables, meat, fish, perfectly complements soups and broths, cold appetizers. It is added during stewing with whole buds. For the preparation of fried foods, it is used in ground form. Confectioners do not bypass the spice with their attention. It is included in recipes for compotes, punches, mulled wines, puddings, sweets, gingerbread, cookies. It is best to combine the spice with cinnamon so that the taste of cloves is not burning. Cloves are added while kneading the dough. For 1 kg, it is enough to put 2 buds. No more than 2 buds per 1 liter are placed in drinks. Incooking time, cloves are added at the very last moment. It must not be boiled, otherwise it will lose its wonderful aroma. If you put too much cloves, then the dish can become too sweet and even bitter taste. If the dish contains vinegar or alcohol-containing products, then this seasoning cannot be added. The taste of food will become bitter. When using several spices in a recipe, cloves should make up a seventh of their total. Otherwise, it can drown out the taste and aroma of other spices.

How to choose and store

Better to buy it whole, ground spice spoils quickly and is not so fragrant. The color of the carnation should be red-brown, the bud should be oily, and the twig should be flexible. The drier the carnation looks, the older it is. Its aroma and taste are not as rich as those of fresh cloves, but you can use it for food. To check the presence of essential oil, you need to dip the buds in a container of water. A good carnation will be held upright with its head up. If the spice lay horizontally, then it is very old. Store the cloves in a tightly closed container in a dry, dark place.

Interesting facts

Clove is often used in perfumery. The famous composition Paloma Picasso contains this spicy note in its aroma. Perfumers call cloves the queen of spices.

Spice was not popular in the Soviet Union. It was replaced with a similar tasting colouria.

Clove spice and carnation flower are not related. Seasoninggrown from the seeds of a tree of the myrtle family, which grows exclusively in the tropics. Clove is a unique natural product, because it is used in various areas of life: cooking, medicine, cosmetology. All points must be taken into account when using a spice such as cloves - useful properties and contraindications must be studied comprehensively.