Cloves (Lavang)

Cloves are renowned for providing their uniquely warm, sweet and aromatic taste to the wide range of dishes that they are used in. Cloves can easily overpower a dish, particularly when ground, so only a few need be used.

Cloves are best bought whole as flavour quickly deteriorates when powdered. The word ‘clove’ is from the Latin word for nail, ‘clavus’ which they resemble in appearance. Cloves are often used to enhance the flavour of meats, curries, and meat marinades. They are used whole in several curries and also fried with other whole spices like peppercorns, cardamom and cinnamon as a garnish in biriyani and pulao.