Clove buds, originally from the Maluku Islands, are part of India’s spice culture and grow on a smaller scale in the south. The taste is hot, sweet, and numbing. Eugenol dominates the oil and defines the clove’s character. Buds are picked before opening and sun-dried to a deep brown. And they’re used whole in rice and curries or ground into masalas and bakery. Clean sorting and low moisture help preserve strength.
Clove is a long-lived evergreen tree with a productive life of more than 80 years. Flowering begins 6 to 8 years after planting, with trees reaching peak production at 15 to 20 years. A mature tree can produce 2 to 3 kilograms of dried flower buds each year. Buds must be picked just before they open and dried for 5 to 7 days until they turn dark brown. Clove is generally resistant to pests because of its high essential oil content, but problems like stem borers and seedling wilt can still occur. The main quality concern is variability in oil content. In the hills of South India the trees are grown on well‑drained, organic‑rich soils under natural shade. Farmers raise clove from seed in nurseries, then transplant young trees at wide spacing and care for them for several years before they start bearing. Flower buds are harvested entirely by hand at the greenish‑pink stage, with workers climbing trees or using ladders, then buds are carefully separated and sun‑dried for several days to lock in aroma. After drying, farmers clean, sort and pack the cloves to protect them from moisture and mould, but face challenges including slow tree growth, demanding soil and climate needs, high labour dependence at harvest, ageing plantations and fluctuating prices.
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