Traditions with clove

Clove, the dried flower bud of a tree native to the Maluku islands of Indonesia, is one of the strongest and most aromatic spices. It was once so valuable that wars were fought over the islands that grew it. Today it is used in the cooking of India, the Middle East, Europe and Indonesia, and in the clove cigarettes, kretek, of Java. Its scent belongs to festive baking, mulled wine and the sweets of Eid and Christmas. These pages explore its traditions.

Where it is used

In India, cloves are in garam masala, biryani and the chewed paan after a meal. In Europe, they stud oranges and hams, flavour mulled wine and gingerbread, and are in the spice cakes of Christmas. In Zanzibar, clove farms drive the island's economy, and in Indonesia, kretek cigarettes use them. In the Middle East, cloves spice rice and stews, and in Mexico, mole and pozole.

What it means

A clove-studded orange, the pomander, was hung in rooms at Christmas in England to give fragrance and ward off bad air. In India, a clove is offered in puja and paan is offered to guests. In Indonesia, the harvest of cloves is a festival of its own, and the islands of the Spice Islands are remembered in the history of the world's trade. Its scent evokes winter feasts.