Clove Oil

Origin & story

The tree originates from the Maluku (Spice) Islands of Indonesia and belongs to Myrtaceae. In India it is a Western Ghats and South-Indian hill crop, grown in parts of Tamil Nadu (including Kanyakumari, the Nilgiris, and the Shevroy and Kolli hills), Kerala and coastal Karnataka. Kanyakumari district is reported to account for a large share of the country's clove output. It is commonly grown mixed into arecanut, coconut and coffee gardens rather than as a solid block plantation.

How it’s made

The oil is obtained by steam or water distillation. Three distinct oils come off the tree: bud oil from the dried flower buds, leaf oil from the foliage, and stem (twig) oil from the prunings. Leaf oil is the commercial workhorse because leaf material is cheap and plentiful, while bud oil is the finer, sweeter grade prized in flavour and fine fragrance. Eugenol is the dominant constituent across all three, with beta-caryophyllene and eugenyl acetate as the main supporting notes.

Sourcing & cultivation

Clove is a tropical crop that wants a warm, humid climate with well-distributed rain. It does well on rich loamy soils, on the red soils of the Kerala midlands, and on Western Ghats slopes. Trees generally begin flowering a few years after planting and take many years to reach full bearing, so it is a long-horizon planting. Buds are hand-picked unopened while the calyx turns from olive-green towards pink, then sun-dried for a few days until they go brown.

Grades & quality

Buyers separate the oils by source and eugenol level, with bud oil generally lower in eugenol than leaf and stem oils. Pharmacopoeial clove oil (BP/Ph. Eur./USP) is commonly specified at not less than about 85% total phenols, chiefly eugenol. For flavour and fine fragrance work, buyers judge more than eugenol percentage, since the trace ketones and esters give bud oil its rounder, sweeter character versus the harsher, more phenolic leaf and stem oils. Food-grade material is handled as GRAS and traded against FCC/food-flavour specs.

Uses & applications

In dentistry, eugenol from clove oil is used in temporary fillings and dental cements. In the food and beverage trade it flavours baked goods, meat cures, teas and confectionery, and it appears in oral-care products such as toothpaste and mouthwash. Perfumers use it for spicy, warm, carnation-type notes and as a fixative, and the oil is a major natural source of eugenol used in aroma chemistry, historically including vanillin synthesis.

For buyers & the trade

India is among the world's largest clove consumers and has become a leading importer as home production falls short of demand. The bulk of imports come from Madagascar, Indonesia and Comoros; Indonesia and Madagascar also dominate global production. Kerala and Mumbai act as major processing and trade hubs. For a South-India sourced offering, the honest positioning is small-volume, hill-grown domestic material distinct from the imported bulk feedstock most oil is distilled from.

Frequently asked