Spice cloves: useful properties and contraindications, recipes and treatment

In the kitchen, any hostess can find seasonings. Among them, there will be a clove. These are small dark brown sticks having a spherical shape at one end. Seasoning is loved for its bitter, spicy taste and rich aroma. It is an integral part of many culinary masterpieces.

A bit of history

Carnation became known for 1500 years BC. e. It was first mentioned in medical and Ayurvedic treatises of that time. Homeland cloves - Spice Islands. So called the Moluccas. It was there that cloves grew. The buds of flowering trees that did not have time to bloom were dried in the sun and used in medicine. Cloves were used to treat rheumatism, disinfect wounds and fight parasites living in the body. 2500 years ago, it gained popularity in China. Clove was used as a remedy for stale breathing and toothache. To do this, it was enough to chew several flowers for about 2 minutes. Carnation came to Europe even before the adoption of Christianity. They drove her from Malaysia to Alexandria on the Red Sea. Then the cloves were acquired by merchants and forwarded to other cities and countries as seasoning. 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. Since 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.

Clove composition

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. In cloves, there is a fair amount of B vitamins, giving vitamins A and E youthful and beautiful to the skin, vitamin K, which contributes to blood coagulation. It also includes zinc, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, selenium, copper, manganese, and iron. 100 g of the product contain 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 often includes 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.

Carnation harm

There is no doubt about the obvious benefits of this spice, but not everyone can use it. As you know, has cloves (spices) useful properties and contraindications.

1. Spice should not be eaten by pregnant and lactating women, as well as children under two years of age.
2. It is contraindicated in patients with hypertension.
3. For people with gastrointestinal tract problems, cloves (useful properties and contraindications are discussed in the article) are not recommended. You should limit the use of seasoning to those who suffer from peptic ulcers, gastritis with high acidity, fatigue, and overstrain.
4. The beneficial properties and contraindications of cloves should not be forgotten, 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 among traditional medicine lovers. But she does not tolerate careless treatment. Like any medicine, has cloves (spices) useful properties and contraindications. Treatment should be carried out carefully, clearly observing the recipe.

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

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

Clove 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 cloves are, useful 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 peppermint oil. Add a teaspoon of honey if desired. Mix the ingredients until smooth. Put the mixture on your face, soak for 5 minutes. Wash your face with water and lubricate your skin with a nourishing cream.

Clove oil will help get rid of acne, blackheads and wounds. Dampen a cotton swab lightly in it, wipe the problem areas of the skin. Perform the procedure 1 time daily. Clove oil will help make your skin tighter. Take enough of the daily cream for one application and add 1 drop of oil to it.

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

Cloves in cooking

The traditional way to use cloves in the kitchen is to cook vegetable, meat, mushroom marinades. Spice gives the dishes a spicy taste and is an excellent preservative. It goes well with cabbage and other vegetables, meat, fish, perfectly complements soups and broths, cold snacks. It is added during braising with whole buds. For the preparation of fried foods used in grinded form. Confectioners do not bypass spice with their attention. It is included in the recipes of stewed fruit, punch, mulled wine, puddings, sweets, gingerbread cookies, cookies. It is best to combine the spice with cinnamon so that the taste of cloves is not burning. Cloves are added during kneading. For 1 kg, it is enough to put 2 buds. In drinks put no more than 2 buds per 1 liter. During cooking, cloves are added at the very last moment. It must not be boiled, otherwise it will lose a wonderful aroma. If you put too much clove, then the dish may get too sweet and even bitter taste. If the dish contains vinegar or alcohol-containing products, then you can not add this seasoning. The taste of food will become bitter. When using several seasonings in the recipe, cloves should make up one seventh of their total amount. Otherwise, it can drown out the taste and aroma of other spices.

How to choose and store

It is better to buy it whole, ground spice quickly deteriorates 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 clove looks, the older it is. The aroma and taste of it is not as rich as that of fresh cloves, but you can use it for food. To check for the presence of essential oil, you need to lower the buds in a container of water. A good clove will be held vertically with its head up. If the spice is laid horizontally, then it is very old. Store cloves in a tightly closed container in a dry, dark place.

Interesting Facts

Cloves are often used in perfumes. The well-known composition Paloma Picasso contains precisely this spicy note in its aroma. Perfumers call cloves the queen of spices.

In the Soviet Union, spice was not popular. It was replaced by a similar to the taste of the colure.

Clove spice and clove flower are not relatives. Seasoning is grown 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 fields of life: cooking, medicine, cosmetology. All points must be taken into account when using a spice such as cloves - useful properties and contraindications should be studied comprehensively.