Growing and Using this Ancient Spice
In ancient times, the flower buds of the tropical clove tree were highly sought after as perfume. The cloves known in Europe today are also the dried flower buds of the tropical tree from the Myrtaceae family (Eugenia cariophyllata). This tree is not originally native to Madagascar. It is believed that some young plants of this tree were introduced in 1506 by the Portuguese Admiral Alphonse d’Albuquerque. Only at the end of the…
From the 19th century, with the colonization of the country, the cultivation of cloves and the trade of their dried flower buds began. To this day, the clove tree is grown, harvested, and processed in Madagascar.
The trees are not demanding and grow easily on a variety of soils. Especially the Betsimisaraka people on the northern East Coast benefit from the yields of cloves. The main cultivation area, however, lies between Sonierana-Ivongo and Mananara on the main island of Madagascar and also parallel on the nearby Island of Sainte Marie. The scent that envelops the eastern cultivation areas of cloves in October is incomparable. The trees are planted at a distance of about 7 meters. After 7 years, the first buds of the trees develop. Once the bud begins to turn slightly pink, it is the right time to harvest them. When it blooms, it delights with its bright red color. However, the fruit inside the bloom then becomes hard and inedible. The harvest of the buds usually begins in November. Only on Sainte Marie, the flowers are picked as early as October.
The harvest takes place in a three-year cycle, with the first year yielding a very good harvest, the second year a moderate one, and the third year a poor one. A very poor harvest yield. The clove tree has long proven its usefulness to the population: for several years, the leaves and stems of the flower buds have been distilled to extract captivating, essential oils.
What is known in Europe as clove are the dried flower buds of a tropical tree from the Myrtaceae family (Eugenia cariophyllata). Despite their tropical origin, cloves seem to have been used as perfume in ancient times.
As for Madagascar, it is possible that some young plants were introduced by the Portuguese Admiral Alphonse d’Albuquerque in 1506, but cultivation only began at the end of. The cultivation of cloves on the East Coast of Madagascar and the island of Sainte Marie began in the 19th century. For over a century, cloves have been harvested and processed in this region. The trees are not demanding and grow easily on a variety of soils, making cultivation popular among the Betsimisaraka people on the northern East Coast. The main cultivation area is located between Sonierana-Ivongo and Mananara on the main island of Madagascar, as well as on the nearby island of Sainte Marie. The trees are planted at a distance of about 7 meters and do not tolerate strong winds well. The buds develop when the trees are at least 7 years old. The harvest of buds begins in November, on Sainte Marie a little earlier, in October already. As mentioned before, it is a flower bud that must be harvested at the right time, when it turns light pink. If you wait too long, the buds turn red, bloom, and the fruit becomes hard and inedible.
Afterwards, they are slowly dried on straw mats in the shade, the smell at this time of year on the East Coast is unforgettable.
The harvests in a three-year cycle are classified as follows: a very good harvest, followed by a less good harvest the following year. And then a very bad one.
Carnations can last for years without any problems.
The clove tree has long proven its usefulness to the population, and in recent years, the leaves and stems of the flower buds have been distilled to extract essential oils.
