The Clove (Cengkeh)

The clove (Syzygium aromaticum, syn.
Eugenia aromaticum), in English was mentioned cloves, was the stem of the dry flower beraroma from the Myrtaceae tree family.
The clove was the original Indonesian crop, often was used as the hot cooking spice in European countries, and as the main material cigarettes kretek typical Indonesia.
The clove was buried especially in Indonesia (the Banda Island) and Madagascar, also grew fertile in Zanzibar, India, and Sri Lanka.
The clove tree was the annual crop that could grow high 10-20 m., had the leaves have the shape of oval that bore interest to his sprouts.
The stem initially was green, and was red if the flower has blossomed.
The clove would dipanen if has reached long 1,5-2 cm.
The Clove History :
In the fourth age, the leader of the Han Dynasty from Tiongkok ordered anyone who approached him during beforehand eat the clove, so that fragrant his breath.
The clove, nutmeg and pepper really expensive in the Roman time.
The clove became the exchange material by the Arabian nation in the middle age.
At the end the 15th age, Portuguese took over the exchange road in Indian Sea.
Together that was taken over also the trade in the clove with the Tordesillas agreement with Spain, moreover also with the agreement with the sultan from Ternate.
Portuguese brought many cloves that were received by them from the Moluccan island to Europe.
At the time the price 1 kg the clove was the same as the price 7 gram gold.
The trade in the clove had finally been dominated by Dutch in the 17th age.
With great difficulty French succeeded in cultivating the clove tree in Mauritius during 1770.
Finally the clove was cultivated in Guyana, Brasilia and Zanzibar.
In the 17th and 18th age in England the price of the clove was the same as the price of gold because of the height of the import cost.
The content Be in the Clove :
Essential oil from the clove had the function anestetik and antimikrobial.
Clove oil was often used to eliminate the breath smell and to eliminate toothache.
The substance that was contained in the clove that had a name eugenol, was used by the dentist to calm nerves of teeth.
Clove oil was also used in the traditional mixture choji (1% of clove oil in mineral oil) and was used by Japanese to treat the surface of their sword.
The clove could be used as the spice, good in the form of him that was intact or as the powder.
This spice was used in Europe and Asia.
Especially in Indonesia, the clove was used as the cigarettes material kretek.
The clove was also used as the incense material in Tiongkok and Japan.
Clove oil was used in aromaterapi but also to treat toothache.