Carnation

Clove spice is the dry, unfastened buds of an evergreen tropical clove tree that can reach the height of a seven-story building. This spice has a kind of strong aroma and a burning taste. In the ground state, it is used extremely rarely, due to the fact that this is how it quickly loses its consumer qualities.

Throw a clove bud into the water with force: the spice should sink to the bottom or, as a last resort, stay upright on the surface with a hat up. The carnation floating on its side speaks of its low quality, since the essential oils have practically disappeared.

In cooking, cloves are mainly used to make marinades. Mixtures of spices, which contain cloves, are used in the production of confectionery, canned fish and sausages. The calorie content of the clove is 323 kcal per 100 grams.

If you mix cloves with black peppers, you can subsequently use them to make lamb, stew, saturated meat broths, fatty types of minced meat, as well as various sauces that are served to poultry. For sweet dishes, the properties of cloves are revealed together with cinnamon, but it is best to use the hats of this spice. Remember that the aroma of cloves does not evaporate, follow a simple rule: you need to lay the buds of this spice right at the very end of the dish.

Benefits of cloves

In addition to cooking, cloves have found their application in medicine. The most valuable component of this spice is clove oil or eugenol, which has antimicrobial, analgesic, antispasmodic and other beneficial effects. The benefits of cloves are obvious with colds, severe nasal congestion and coughing - take inhalation by adding a few drops of clove oil to the boiling water. If the tooth is very sore, again this oil will come to the rescue: dip a piece of cotton wool into it and apply it to the sick tooth.

In cosmetology, clove oil is often used for acne. Cloves warm the body very well and, in general, improve digestion, strengthen the liver and stomach, and also arouse appetite. You can endlessly talk about the benefits of cloves, since the fields of its use for medical purposes are almost unlimited.

Harms cloves

This spice can increase the acidity of the stomach, this is the main harm of cloves, so people with problems in the gastrointestinal tract are advised to limit its use. There have been cases when people who included buds of this spice in their diet developed severe fatigue and incomprehensible overvoltage.

And more advice: if you prefer a hammered clove, buy it in minimal quantities, as it deteriorates very quickly, acquiring an unpleasant smell.