Spice Trip

This incredibly easy recipe tastes deliciously like the French classic, but with a warm clovey undertone. You can substitute apples or quince for the pears, if you like. Sometimes I splash a tiny bit of grappa on to the pears just before eating them for an extra kick.

Sit the pears in a suitably-sized pan so they fit snugly. Spoon in the honey, drop in the cloves and pour in enough red wine to cover them. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and poach for about 20–30 minutes, until softened but still firm.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears to serving plates. Bring the liquid back up to the boil and cook for 5 minutes, until it’s reduced to a syrup. Pour the syrup over the pears and serve with crème fraîche.

EMMA’S CLOVE THERAPIES

The clove is a powerhouse of a spice. It is the champion of all antioxidants – a drop of clove oil contains 400 more per unit volume than goji berries, the most powerful of all known antioxidant fruits.

For centuries cloves have been used in dentistry: they’re a common ingredient in toothpastes, make a natural and effective mouthwash as the eugenol in them has a refreshing, menthol-like flavour, and they’re a top-notch cure for toothache due to their numbing, analgesic properties. Cloves are also anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal – pretty much ‘anti’ anything that is a potential threat to health!

In Zanzibar I was interested to learn that cloves are commonly used as a stomach calmer. Apparently it’s due to the ‘anthelmintics’ that kill off nasty parasites in the stomach. Handy to know if, like me, you suffer from tummy troubles when travelling.

Cloves are a warming spice, which is probably why they’re used extensively in Britain at Christmas time; but a lively trip to a Zanzibarian spa opened my eyes to their topical use as a refreshing and cooling scrub.

THE STORY OF CLOVES

Cloves are native to the Moluccas, or ‘Spice Islands’, in Indonesia and were one of the first spices to be traded – archaeologists have found evidence of cloves in Syrua dating as far back as 1721BC. The Dutch dominated the spice trade in the 17th century and, in order to maintain their monopoly, they destroyed any trees outside their control. Ferocious wars were fought and many people lost their lives trying to break the Dutch monopoly over this precious spice. In 1770 the Frenchman Peter Poivre (the same Peter Piper in the well-known tongue-twister) smuggled seedlings out of Indonesia, breaking the Dutch monopoly, and it was those seedlings that found their way to Zanzibar, now the world’s leading producer of the spice.

MEDICINAL USES

Clove honey is believed to be the most powerful medicine on the island of Zanzibar and in particular is thought to protect those suffering from bone conditions, as well as to prevent flu, colds and fever. It’s also given to children to protect them from infection. (See recipe here.)

Cloves are good for the digestive system – eating cloves increases hydrochloric acid in the stomach, thereby acting as a carminative.

The clove’s antiseptic antibacterial properties can help relieve symptoms of bronchitis and asthma.

Ground cloves can be applied topically to help treat athlete’s foot and other fungal infections.

According to folklore, sucking on 2 cloves without chewing or swallowing helps to curb the desire for alcohol.

Toasted cloves make a fantastically fragrant incense – their spicy aroma can help relieve fatigue, drowsiness and headaches.

An orange studded with cloves is commonly used as a pomander, filling the house with a delicious scent at Christmas.

A NOTE OF WARNING

The clove oil that is sold commercially is for external use only. Clove oil is only ever ingested when it is part of cough syrup or medicine.

ANTISEPTIC CLOVE HONEY

This is a natural antiseptic for treating bee stings and insect bites, rashes, cuts, bruises, acne, styes and sores. Caryophyllene, found in cloves, has strong anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce redness. I have even allowed myself to be bitten to test this theory, so I know it works!

To make clove honey, mix 1 teaspoon of ground cloves with 2 teaspoons of honey and a splash of water. To gain benefits, take one teaspoon a day.

CLOVE MOUTHWASH AND STOMACH CALMER

Chewing on a clove is an age-old remedy for toothache. This powerful breath freshener helps maintain healthy gums and heal ulcers. (You can also drink this to aid digestion and ease stomach upsets, vomiting and nausea as cloves help to relax the smooth muscle lining of the digestive tract.)

To make clove mouthwash simmer 300ml (½ pint) water with 1 tablespoon of cloves, leave to cool and then strain.

CLOVE AND ROSE BODY SCRUB

In Zanzibar young brides and grooms are traditionally cleansed with a scrub made from ground cloves, rose water and coconut oil to bring them protection.

The eugenol found in cloves makes this scrub fantastically cooling on the skin. It’s refreshing, calming and totally natural. Your skin will be smooth and you’ll smell wonderful!

It takes a bit of time to source the fantastic array of flowers used – available in some natural pharmacies or online – but it’s worth the effort.

3 tbsp whole cloves, coarsely ground

2 tbsp rose water

2 tbsp coconut, almond or jojoba oil

3 tbsp coarsely ground dried flowers (a combination of dried rose petals, dried jasmine flowers, dried sandalwood, dried ylang ylang and dried sweet basil leaves)

Mix all the ingredients together to form a slightly loose, coarse and fragrant scrub.

To use, rub it vigorously into dry skin, then rinse off.

MULLED WINE

This recipe is so easy to make. For a virgin version with an uncannily similar flavour, use pomegranate juice instead of the red wine.

2 cinnamon sticks

2 mace blades

a pinch of whole cloves

3 star anise

3 tsp allspice

2 bottles of red wine

a few slices of orange

sugar, to taste

Put all the ingredients into a large saucepan and heat without letting it boil (this may make the spices bitter). Allow to simmer for at least half an hour, ladle into cups and serve.

‘THE CLOVE IS A POWERHOUSE OF A SPICE. IT IS THE CHAMPION OF ALL ANTIOXIDANTS’