Photo Gallery

Just before flowering, the buds—or cloves—are ready to be harvested. A five-year-old clove tree is about six to eight meters tall and robust enough for its first “harvest.” After picking the flower buds, the tree is allowed a rest period of eighteen to twenty-four months before the next harvest. This cycle can be maintained until the tree dies or is felled. – 1990

Dried cloves rightly bear their French name, “Clou de girofle” (clove bud). The bud, which is three to four millimeters in diameter and a beautiful dark brown, consists of tightly packed petals; the stem, formed from the calyx, is ten to twelve millimeters long. During the drying process, cloves lose nearly half their weight. The yield from a single tree is approximately ten kilograms, rarely more. – 1990

A large quantity of freshly harvested cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) spread out to dry. The cloves have their characteristic nail-like structure, with a stem and a bud-like head. The mixture of reddish-brown and still light green to yellowish buds indicates that they are in the transition phase following harvest. Traditionally, cloves are dried in the sun after harvest until they take on their familiar, uniform dark brown color and become hard. – 1990

Freshly opened nutmeg fruits. The flesh of these apricot-like fruits surrounds the large seed, the nutmeg. The striking red aril or seed coat is dried and sold as mace or mazis. – Banda Neira – Moluccas – 1990

Still life with a branch bearing fruit and open nutmeg fruits, as well as a collection basket and a bamboo picking drum called a gaigai. This is open on one side and equipped with two gripping teeth. The fruit is stripped off and falls into the cone-shaped collection drum. On Banda Besar, as on the other Moluccan islands, the harvest takes place twice a year, in June and October. - 1990

These seeds are freshly harvested nutmegs (Myristica fragrans) from the Indonesian Moluccas. Two main components are clearly visible: Mace (Macis): This is the bright red, net-like tissue (seed coat) that surrounds the nut. It is dried and used as a spice in its own right. Nutmeg: The dark, hard kernel inside, which is grated after drying. – 1990

Mazis laid out to dry in the sun give off a distinctive scent. When soaked in water, the strands swell up again immediately. From this soaked mazis, an essential oil with a pungent, spicy, and rather bitter scent is extracted, which is used in pharmaceuticals. – 1990

Chalked nutmegs are nuts that have been dipped in slaked lime after harvesting. This gives them a characteristic thin white layer on the surface or in the grooves. There are two main reasons for this traditional method: The lime effectively protects the dried seeds from insect infestation and mold during storage and long-distance transport. Chalking prevents the seeds from germinating, which is important for global export. – 1990