What are cloves?
Cloves are the dried unopened flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry, Myrtaceae family, an evergreen tree that can live for more than a century. The buds are picked pink before they open and dried until dark brown and nail-shaped, which is why they are called qurunful or musmar (nail) in Egypt, musmar or uwaidi in Iraq and the Gulf, and kabsh qurunful in the Levant.
Cloves were among the most prized goods of the spice route; Omani, Hadrami and Egyptian merchants brought them from the Moluccas, and in the nineteenth century the Omanis planted them in Zanzibar, which became the largest exporter. Today cloves flavour Arabic coffee in parts of the Gulf, kabsa and biryani spice mixes, the Egyptian baharat for meat and mince, and the Levantine seven-spice blend.
Types, grades and origins
Cloves have no distinct commercial cultivars; origin, grade and handling determine quality and price.
Cloves Whole Grade 1 Madagascar
Madagascar and Indonesia are the largest producers. Madagascar cloves have large plump heads (over 1.5 cm), a reddish-brown colour, volatile oil above 16 % and few stems or opened buds, making them the preferred export grade for the Gulf and Egypt. Zanzibar and Pemba cloves from Tanzania are close in character with the classic sharp aroma, and Sri Lankan cloves are small and fine.
Cloves Whole Grade 2
Smaller or mixed-size buds with a higher share of stems, headless cloves and pale khoker buds, often from Indonesia (which consumes most of its own crop in kretek cigarettes) or from unsorted lots. Suitable for grinding, everyday cooking and industry at a lower cost.
Cloves Ground
Milled from whole cloves after removing the stems; it should be a uniform dark brown with a penetrating warm aroma. Ideal for blends, baking and dishes where whole buds are unwanted.
| Type | Origin | Character | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole Grade 1 Madagascar | Madagascar | Large heads, high oil, strong aroma | Coffee, rice, visible garnish |
| Zanzibar (reference) | Tanzania | Classic, sharp | Spice blends, export |
| Whole Grade 2 | Indonesia, mixed lots | Smaller, more stems | Grinding, daily cooking |
| Ground | Milled in Mansoura | Penetrating, easy to blend | Mixes, baking, marinades |
Quality standards and grades
Whole and ground cloves are governed by ISO 2254, with volatile oil determined by ISO 6571. The ESA quality minima, the Egyptian standard and Gulf GSO regulations apply similar limits. In Madagascar and Tanzania, lots are graded commercially by the share of heads, stems, headless buds and khoker (opened, pale, oil-poor buds).
| Parameter | Typical range or limit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture | ≤ 12 % | ISO 2254 limit |
| Volatile oil (whole) | ≥ 14 ml/100 g (ISO), typically 15–20 % | Madagascar exceeds 16 % |
| Volatile oil (ground) | ≥ 12 ml/100 g | ISO limit |
| Eugenol in the oil | 75–90 % | Typical; the aroma compound |
| Total ash | ≤ 7 % | Maximum |
| Acid-insoluble ash | ≤ 0.5 % | Soil indicator |
| Headless cloves | ≤ 5 % (Grade 1), ≤ 15 % (Grade 2) | Typical trade grading |
| Stems and extraneous matter | ≤ 1 % Grade 1, ≤ 3 % Grade 2 | Typical |
| Khoker (pale buds) | ≤ 2 % | Typical |
Judging by the senses: a good clove is heavy with a full head and a dark reddish-brown colour; pressing the stem with a fingernail releases a glossy drop of oil, and in water it sinks or stands upright. Cloves that have been distilled for oil and returned to the market float horizontally and are pale, light and scentless. The aroma should be penetrating, sweet and warm rather than flat, and the ground product should not be dull or diluted with milled stems.
Whole versus ground and processing
Whole cloves keep their volatile oil for years because the outer skin seals it, while ground cloves lose about a third of their aroma within months. Milling must be chilled because cloves are oily and heat quickly, causing caking. Light roasting is used in some Iraqi and Gulf blends to soften the sharpness and bring out sweetness, but overdoing it burns the oil and turns the flavour bitter. Remove the woody, oil-poor stems before home grinding.
Culinary uses across the Arab world
- Egypt: two or three buds in meat broth, fatta and mahshi; part of the Egyptian baharat; clove tea and Eid kahk.
- Iraq: a base of kabsa, biryani and dolma spices, in okra and bean stews, and in chai with cardamom and cloves.
- Levant: part of Aleppo seven-spice, in kibbeh and lahm bi ajeen, and clove coffee in some regions.
- Gulf: kabsa, machboos and madhbi; Arabic coffee in Najd and the south; a component of soup spices.
Dosage: cloves are very strong; 2–4 whole buds or a quarter teaspoon of ground (about 0.5 g) are enough for a kilogram of meat or rice. They pair with cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, onion and orange.
Storage and shelf life
Whole: airtight, away from light and heat, for 3 to 4 years. Ground: opaque, airtight, for 12 months, losing pungency gradually. Never keep an open jar near the stove, and buy ground cloves in small quantities.
Traditional and health benefits
Arab medicine used cloves to soothe toothache, freshen the mouth, aid digestion and warm the body. Eugenol is a scientifically established local anaesthetic and antimicrobial used in dentistry, and cloves are among the richest foods in antioxidants by weight. Concentrated clove oil must not be swallowed or applied to children's skin, and excessive cloves may affect blood clotting and blood sugar.
The Sheikh Al-Attareen range
- Cloves Whole Grade 1 Madagascar
- Cloves Whole Grade 2
- Cloves Ground
We import cloves from licensed exporters in Madagascar, Zanzibar and Indonesia, and test every lot in our laboratory for moisture, volatile oil, stem content and headless buds, rejecting any lot showing signs of oil extraction. The buds are sorted, cold-milled and packed at our plant in Mansoura, and are available in our branches in Egypt, Baghdad, Erbil and Homs and through our online store.
Frequently asked questions
How can I recognise cloves that have had their oil extracted?
Drop a handful into a glass of water: good cloves sink or stand upright, while extracted ones float flat, look pale and light, have no aroma and release no oil when pressed with a fingernail.
What is the difference between Grade 1 and Grade 2?
Grade 1 is large, uniform, full-headed buds with under 5 % headless cloves and under 1 % stems; Grade 2 is smaller and more variable, sold at a lower price and well suited to grinding.
Is ground clove as strong as whole?
A quarter teaspoon of ground equals roughly 3–4 whole buds, but ground loses strength faster and should be used within a year.
Why are cloves added to Arabic coffee?
For an aromatic warmth that balances the bitterness of the coffee, a tradition common in Najd, southern Saudi Arabia and Iraq, usually with cardamom and sometimes saffron.