Overview
Known locally in Sicily as “ciòvuli,” cloves are the dried flower buds of the Syzygium aromaticum tree, native to the Moluccas Islands in Indonesia. This intensely aromatic spice made its way to Sicily in the Middle Ages via Arab and Venetian trade routes, swiftly becoming a treasured element in the island’s patisserie and traditional cuisine.
Within Sicilian culinary heritage, cloves hold a special place – used sparingly but with great effect in both sweet and savoury dishes, where their unmistakable fragrance lends depth and complexity. Whether in Sicilian mustard preserves, festive Christmas cakes, warming digestifs, or certain meat recipes, cloves bring a refined touch steeped in the island’s millennia-old history.
Characteristics
Cloves appear as small, dried flower buds shaped like tiny pins, roughly 1 to 1.5 centimetres long – hence their name. They boast a dark reddish-brown hue and a hard, woody texture. The “head” of the clove is formed by unopened flower petals, while the stem is the calyx.
The scent is remarkably potent, warm, sweet with a subtle peppery edge, instantly recognisable. Its flavour is robust, spicy, and slightly bitter, with balsamic notes and a tingling sensation on the tongue caused by eugenol, the spice’s key active compound.
Top-quality cloves are whole, evenly coloured with a well-formed “head.” When placed in water, fresh, high-grade cloves will sink. Their aroma should be strong yet clean, never stale.
Use in Baking
Cloves play a vital role in many traditional Sicilian baked goods.
Festive Cakes and Biscuits
They’re indispensable in Sicilian Christmas treats such as mustazzoli, buccellati, and cucciddati, where cloves are ground alongside other warming spices. Their scent pairs beautifully with honey, dried figs, and candied fruit.
Sicilian Mostarda
Made with grape must and a blend of spices, Sicilian mostarda features cloves alongside cinnamon and pepper. This sweet yet piquant preserve is a classic accompaniment to cheeses and meats.
Spiced Sponge Cake
Certain traditional sponge cake recipes, especially those crafted for cassata or elaborately decorated tortes, call for finely ground cloves to add aromatic complexity.
Aromatic Pastry Cream
A few cloves infused in warm milk before preparing pastry cream lend an understated, sophisticated fragrance.
Use in Savoury Cooking
Cloves also hold a distinct place in Sicilian savoury dishes.
Studded Onion
When preparing stocks and sauces, it’s customary to stud an onion with cloves to create a "cipolla chiodulata" – a classic aromatic device that flavours the cooking liquid.
Marinades
Cloves are often incorporated into marinades for game or slow-cooked meats, neutralising strong odours while adding a fragrant note.
Preserved Vegetables
Some pickled vegetable preserves include cloves alongside bay leaves and peppercorns to enhance their character.
Liqueurs and Drinks
Cloves are regularly used to flavour homemade digestifs, such as rosolio and various herbal bitters. They also find their way into mulled wine and comforting winter infusions for their warming properties.
Preparation Tips
Cloves can be used whole or ground. Whole cloves offer a gentler aroma and are usually removed before serving, while finely ground cloves deliver a more pronounced flavour.
It’s essential to use them sparingly—their powerful taste can easily overwhelm a dish. Typically, 2 to 3 cloves suffice to flavour a litre of liquid or a kilogram of sweet dough.
For infusions, lightly crushing the cloves helps release their essential oils. Toasting them briefly in a dry pan can intensify their flavour before grinding.
Storage
Store cloves in airtight glass or metal containers, away from light, heat, and moisture, in a cool, dry spot. Properly kept, they retain their fragrance for 2 to 3 years.
Ground cloves lose aroma quickly and should be used within a few months. It’s best to grind cloves fresh for each use rather than buying pre-ground.
Avoid plastic containers, as essential oils may be absorbed. Dark glass jars are ideal to protect against light.
Health Benefits
Rich in eugenol, cloves possess antiseptic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Traditionally in Sicily, they were chewed to soothe toothaches and gum pain.
They aid digestion and help alleviate bloating and wind. Cloves are packed with antioxidants that combat free radicals and are valued in herbal medicine for their antimicrobial effects.
Clove infusions were once favoured as remedies for digestive discomfort, nausea and stomach aches. Applied topically, they served as anti-inflammatory and disinfectant agents.
Buying Advice
Choose whole cloves over ground for superior freshness and aroma. High-quality cloves are uniform in size, dark reddish-brown and firm to the touch.
The fragrance should be intense and pure; pressing the clove’s head slightly should release aromatic oils. Always check the packaging date—the fresher, the better.
Cloves from Madagascar, Zanzibar or Indonesia are traditionally prized. Avoid dry, crumbly or faded specimens.
Curiosities
During the Middle Ages, cloves were among the most precious spices, valued almost like gold. They arrived in Sicily via Venice and were jealously guarded by noble families and monasteries.
The name "garofano" connects to the clove’s scent, which vaguely resembles that of the carnation flower—though the two plants are unrelated botanically.
In medieval Sicily, cloves were so prized they were gifted to noble brides and included as part of dowries, symbolising wealth and social standing.
In Palermo’s cloistered convents, nuns baked spiced sweets featuring cloves, sold through convent “wheels” to aristocratic families for religious celebrations.
During Sicily’s Baroque era, cloves were used to make "pomanders"—fragrant spheres crafted by studding oranges or lemons with cloves, hung in wardrobes to scent linens and repel insects.