Troy McNaughtonChai Extras: Cloves!
May 25th 2006 03:16
The French thought they looked like nails (hence ‘clou,’ which was anglicised to ‘clove’) – speaks volumes about why architecture has never been the French strength...
Don't forget to read chai basics, how to chai like a pro.
BUY IT:
Easily, anywhere, like biggish supermarkets. You can do the squeeze test if you’re worried about the quality - good quality cloves release oil when squeezed.
IN CHAI:
2-3 cloves per cup.
STORE IT:
Cloves are the already dried buds of a tree, so they won’t get stale easily! The whole cloves, not surprisingly, keep their taste and smell much longer than their powdered brothers and sisters. A lot of things keep better in the fridge – this goes for cloves but probably other spices already mentioned here.
BUT WHY?
1. All cultures seem to love this stuff – they love the smell (in incense and cigarettes), the taste (sweet, savoury, it don’t matter!), the oil (medicine)...
2. For the hippies, the spice is believed to invigorate and restore, help generate heat in the body; and be useful during the cold/flu season – and it features in aromatherapy quite a bit.
3. For the “alternative” medicos, cloves have anesthetic and antimicrobial qualities, and are sometimes used to combat bad breath.
4. In the Moluccas, where Cloves were first found, parents planted a Clove tree when a child was born. I dunno. Fertility or something.
5. Like a lot of mild spices, they are somewhere between spicy and sweet, but they numb your mouth too so bring on the dental procedures!
SILLY FACTS:
Clove is a key flavour contributor to ketchup and Worchestershire sauce seasoning blends – but it’s not all sunshine and lollipops – the oil is used to polish Japanese swords and prevent tarnishing! HeeeeeeYAH!
Don't forget to read chai basics, how to chai like a pro.
IN CHAI:
2-3 cloves per cup.
STORE IT:
Cloves are the already dried buds of a tree, so they won’t get stale easily! The whole cloves, not surprisingly, keep their taste and smell much longer than their powdered brothers and sisters. A lot of things keep better in the fridge – this goes for cloves but probably other spices already mentioned here.
BUT WHY?
1. All cultures seem to love this stuff – they love the smell (in incense and cigarettes), the taste (sweet, savoury, it don’t matter!), the oil (medicine)...
2. For the hippies, the spice is believed to invigorate and restore, help generate heat in the body; and be useful during the cold/flu season – and it features in aromatherapy quite a bit.
3. For the “alternative” medicos, cloves have anesthetic and antimicrobial qualities, and are sometimes used to combat bad breath.
4. In the Moluccas, where Cloves were first found, parents planted a Clove tree when a child was born. I dunno. Fertility or something.
5. Like a lot of mild spices, they are somewhere between spicy and sweet, but they numb your mouth too so bring on the dental procedures!
World's Healthiest Foods
Clove is a key flavour contributor to ketchup and Worchestershire sauce seasoning blends – but it’s not all sunshine and lollipops – the oil is used to polish Japanese swords and prevent tarnishing! HeeeeeeYAH!
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