Photo Gallery

Feminine adornment. The silver chest pendant is the jewel in a woman's outfit on her wedding day. Its composition and ornaments are always the same. Around the neck: a kind of necklace composed of cloves, whose fragrance is much appreciated by women. - Algeria - 1966

Color plate of the clove (Caryophyllus (Syzygium) aromaticus L.). The illustration originally appeared in an issue of “Curtis’s Botanical Magazine” from 1827. This historical botanical illustration depicts a flowering branch of the clove tree, whose unopened, dried flower buds are used as cloves in cooking. Plaque: Geneva Conservatory and Botanical Garden – 1990

These are dried cloves, which are used as an aromatic spice in both sweet and savory dishes. They are rich in essential oils and have a slightly spicy, peppery, and intense flavor. In traditional medicine, they are believed to have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. - 1990

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

Cloves are laid out to dry in the sun. – Kandangan near Pare, East Java – 1990

Inflorescence of a clove tree on the Moluccan island of Ternate. The undivided leaves of this evergreen tree from the myrtle family, reminiscent of laurel, are opposite and up to ten centimetres long. They are covered with indentations or tissue cavities that contain a pleasantly scented essential oil. The actual clove is the flower bud. The small, hermaphroditic flowers form round berries two to three centimetres in diameter, which turn brownish-purple when ripe and contain one to two seeds. – Moluccas – 1990

Shortly before flowering, the buds or cloves are ready for harvesting. A five-year-old clove tree is about six to eight metres tall and strong enough for its first “harvest”. After picking the flower buds, the tree is left to rest for eighteen to twenty-four months before the next harvest. This cycle can be maintained until the tree dies or is felled. – Moluccas – 1990

A woman on the island of Ternate picking cloves. The buds are carefully removed one by one and then laid out to dry. This work is usually done in family businesses. Each week's harvest, a few kilos of dried cloves, is then delivered to the buyer in the city of Ternate, who pays for the goods in cash. However, as with most spices, the purchase price is modest. – Moluccas – 1990

On Ternate, freshly picked clove buds are immediately laid out on cloths or mats to dry. In the evening, they are taken indoors and then laid out in the sun again the next day. This drying process takes one to two weeks. In bad weather, the cloves can also be carefully dried over a small fire. They are then ready for sale. – Moluccas – 1990

Dried cloves rightly bear their French name “clou de girofle” (clove nail). The head of the nail, which is three to four millimetres in diameter and a beautiful dark brown colour, consists of tightly packed petals, while the stem, formed from the calyx, is ten to twelve millimetres long. During drying, cloves lose almost half their weight. The yield of a tree is approximately ten kilograms, rarely more. – Moluccas – 1990