IngredientsSpices
Gewürznelkencloves
The dried, unopened flower bud of Syzygium aromaticum. Dark brown, with a small head at the end of the stem.
They sit in Sauerbraten, in red cabbage, in mulled wine, in Lebkuchen and in the onion studded with bay and cloves that floats in the stock.
Geschmacktaste
The tone comes from eugenol, the same compound you know from the dentist. Warm, sweet, resinous, and it numbs the tongue a little.
Clove wins against everything: against vinegar, against red wine, against a long braise. It is the last flavour to leave the pot.
Dosierunghow many
Cloves are counted, not guessed. Three or four for a roast, two for a litre of mulled wine.
Whole into the pot, fished out at the end. Ground, they spread through the whole dish and cannot be taken back.
In Mexikoin Mexico
Clavo de olor, in any mercado, the same bud. Nothing to work around here.
Mexican cooking uses it in adobos and birria. What changes is the hand: a German recipe counts single pieces.