Are cloves valuable? Why are they so expensive?

In the forests of South India harvesters climb tress as tall as 50feet to hand pick these clove buds. When exported half of the pound of these dried cloves cost $30. That’s 10times as much as cumin. But as they focus on keeping their balance, harvesters must also be careful not to break the buds. If they do, the value of the clove drops significantly and that’s just where the risk begins.

To harvest the cloves correctly, workers put their lives on the line. So, what makes cloves worth the risks? Why are they so expensive?

Cloves and flower buds of cloves trees that haven’t blossomed yet, When dried, they are commonly used as a spice. A clove’s flavor is complex with a pinch of sweetness, bitterness and heat. The oil found in cloves has medicinal properties, that makes the spice valuable outside of just cooking. Cloves with the round head/crown still intact have the most oil. But to get cloves with the highest possible oil content, highly skilled labors are needed at every stage.

To get to the top of the trees, harvesters rely on ladder and some rope which is tied to the tree on three sides to secure it from falling and covers the bottom of the ladder with mud, so that it doesn’t move when the people navigates/hops on the tall trees. While climbing the person who climbs must make sure that they doesn’t break the branches and at the same time while picking on the clove buds, there should be a clear idea on picking the right bud(well grown) and also avoid plucking the new growing bud.

The workers nearly makes around $30 a day(on an average).

Once the cloves are picked from tree, harvesters carefully remove the individual buds from the stalks and leaves. they shift and sort each bud according to its size, age and whether it has top or not. It’s best if the circular crown of the clove where it would otherwise flower is still intact. This improves the spices taste and aroma. There is a machinery available for segregating the cloves/ sorting them. But for being on safe side many farmers prefer to handpick them to avoid the damage of buds which are most important.

The highest quality cloves were picked at the right time, just before they turned into pink flowers. They are large and plump and still have the crown. Second quality cloves also still have their tops, but they are small in size compared to the high quality one’s and these are small because, either they are picked too early or too late. The third quality are the one with the top having either flowered or broken off.

After the sorting process, the cloves are allowed to dry under the sun. High quality cloves take 3 days to dry under good sunlight. if the sunlight is too less then the quality of the clove drops. Instead of the golden brown, it becomes black and loses its most valuable properties i.e., its oil content.

First quality cloves are the most valuable and have the highest oil content. Clove oil is mostly made up of the compound “Eugenol” which is not only responsible for the cloves familiar aroma, but also for its medicinal benefits. Researchers have noted “Eugenol has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties“. So, the demand for the cloves go beyond their culinary uses.

“Kanyakumari cloves are known for their high oil content and strong aroma. In fact these cloves were awarded a Geographical Indication tag(GI) in 2021“.