Giroflier

The giroflier or clove ( Syzygium aromaticum ) is a tree with oval persistent sheets and coriaces. It can reach up to 20 meters in height. The flowers with 4 petals rosy white are characterized by their Sépale S persistent reds. Before blooming, the floral buttons are named “cloves”. It is at that time that one collects them before letting them dry until they take a color brown dark.

History

The giroflier is originating in the island of Ternate in the Moluques.

The Indian epopee of the Ramayana, perhaps written towards 200 before J. - C., mentions it. The Chinese used already the cloves under the Dynastie Han (206 before J. - C. - 220 after J. - C.) by chewing them to have better breath. They were known Greek S and Romains. With. , Pline Old the describes them in its writings. A recent archaeological discovery suggests that the trade of the clove with the Occident could in much earlier makes have started. Indeed, one found a clove among remainders calcined on the ground of a burnt kitchen of the site mésopotamien of Terqa in current Syria, gone back to 1700 before J. - C.

In Europe, the clove brought to the 4th century by the Arabs who were unaware of the exact origin of it, became with the mode with the Moyen-âge. The Portuguese made at the the archipelago of Moluques into 1424 secured the monopoly of it by burning the trees located out of the island of Ternate and this monopoly was then that of the Dutchmen.

We must with Pierre Poivre, intendant of Mauritius, the catch of some seedlings during a forwarding, and their acclimatization initially with the Mauritius then with the the Antilles.

Uses

The properties Disinfectant S and Anesthésique S of these floral buttons are recognized for a very long time and proposed in the dental pains. It enters the composition of the Khôl, originally ophthalmic ointment.

In kitchen, it is present in the gingerbread, the cookies mixes some with cinnamon, the Pot-au-feu, the marinades, the Choucroute and it is essential to the majority of the Curry S. In certain countries as the Tunisia one uses it out of infusion with the The.

It is used as perfume of environment in the form of " apple of ambre" that one manufactures by pricking all the surface of a orange of cloves. The 2-heptanone is a Cétone of formula (C₇H₁₄O) which has an odor of clove.

Nowadays, 95 % of the worldwide production of cloves is used for the manufacture of the Kretek S, of the cigarettes Indonesia born.

Production

Synonyms

Caryophyllus aromaticus L.
Eugenia aromatica (L.) Baill.
Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.
Eugenia caryophyllus (Spreng.) Bullock & S.G.Harrison

External bonds

Toil' of spices - Clove

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