Cloves are a lot more than a pungent spice for a ham dinner even though it does a great job of adding to the taste and smell of the dinner. Today people will use allspice in place of cloves but it’s the cloves in the allspice that gives the unique smell and taste.
The clove originates as the dried flower of a tropical evergreen tree that is related to the myrtle family. Cloves have been used as a preservative but usually they are part of a tea.
Cloves
A tea made of cloves, cinnamon, marjoram and bay leaves has been used to help coughs, tuberculosis, motion sickness,asthma, nervous stomach, diarrhea, indigestion, flatulence, gastroenteritis and the side effect of depression and lobelia. It is also said that a good strong cup of clove tea before bed time will give you a peaceful nights sleep.
If you have an upset stomach with vomiting then mix some cloves with ginger and you’ll be on the mend in no time. Cloves mixed with equal parts of basil is a great detox for the body.
Years ago if you had an earache they would take some warm oil of cloves, apply it to the ear canal with a cotton ball and you would be as good as new.
In the 16th and 17th centuries cloves and especially the oil of cloves were considered a luxury and very highly valued. The clove oil in combination with other aromatic oils is still highly valued and used in aroma therapy sessions and treatments.
In Indonesia many people smoke clove cigarettes even though it has been shown to be a leading cause of adult respiratory distress syndrome.
The word cloves comes from the Latin word “Clavus” which means nail. The clove does resemble the nail and this is how it is used in the ham dinner. Criss cross the back of the ham with a sharp knife about every inch and where the cuts cross hammer in a clove.
The stately clove is one of the main ingredients in spice cake, pickles, sauces and even in my favorite condiment sauce, Worcestershire.
The clove has lost some of it’s popularity due to convenience foods but still today if you want to see smiles on your guests face then use cloves to spice up the meal.
