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Cloves Thematic Timeline. A. History of trade and economic impact. The origin of the clove spice is Indonesia, specifically the islands of Ternate,Tidore, Moti, Makian, Batjan and Ambon where it grows in close proximity to a volcano.
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A. History of trade and economic impact • The origin of the clove spice is Indonesia, specifically the islands of Ternate,Tidore, Moti, Makian, Batjan and Ambon where it grows in close proximity to a volcano
From there the valuable spice was eventually shipped north and west through the Indian Ocean trade and the Atlantic trade
Earliest users of cloves • 2600 B.C.E.-Egyptians used spices such as cloves to strengthen pyramid workers • Recent archaeology has found evidence of cloves in trade ships dated to 1721 B.C.E. • 6th century B.C.E.- China sought spices from the tropical areas • 1st Century B.C.E.-Roman Empire valued aromatics such as cloves for foods and medicines
7th century C.E. Expansion of Islam, gave Arabs control of the spice market and their aggressive restrictions on pricing succeeded in virtually destroying the trade between Rome and S.E. Asia. • Spices were so expensive during the Middle Ages that only the wealthiest could afford them….
…that is until the Italian trade cities of Venice, Florence and Milan were able to strike a deal with Arab traders that gave them a monopoly on the trade of spices between east and west during the 14th century C.E. and it continued to rise after that. • Trade of cloves and other spices also rose in the far east with the prosperity of the Ming dynasty under Emperor Yung-lo • The great 14th century traveler, Ibn Battuta describes meals including cloves and other spices during his travels.
16th and 17th centuryCloves are worth their weight in gold • The famous explorer, Magellan, on his circumnavigation of the world in 1520 started with 5 ships and 250 sailors. He died at the hands of natives on the trip and only one ship and 18 men returned to Spain…however they brought back 50 tons of cloves and nutmeg so the trip was a success!
Cloves and other spices reach the peak of popularity • By 1514 the Portuguese were exploring opportunities to enter the lucrative spice trade. • However the Dutch aggressively took control of the clove trade in 1605 going to extremes to prevent any of the trees from being grown elsewhere.
America’s enterprising traders entered the spice trade in 1672. The fast sailing ships of the Americans pushed Salem, Massachusetts to the premier spice trade city. • By the late 18th century the clove trees were being grown in many places in the world and the easy availability caused the market value to drop.
Clove Trade today.. • Today’s communication speed has allowed traders to deal directly with the source of clove production. • Over 100,000 kilos of cloves are used per day in Indonesia to produce clove cigarettes. The value of this trade is approximately $120 million and represents about 20-25% of Indonesia’s income that is from the tobacco taxes of clove cigarettes.
Clove trade today-continued • The overall market for cloves in 2010 has been dramatically affected by the fact that Indonesian cigarette manufacturers have bought the entire Indonesian crop ( a bumper harvest this year). Once the fall harvest in Madagascar is complete this may alleviate the world wide demand. • Clove Leaf Oil is selling at an all time high price.
The French word clou for nail gives the spice it’s name based on it’s appearance. China-2nd century B.C.E.-Officials are required to chew cloves while talking to the king to sweeten their breath Early Arabic traders told fanciful stories about the origins of the spice in order to maintain tight control of the valuable trade good. Magellan’s aide, Sebastian del Cano was the only officer to return to Spain in 1522 with a ship full of spices including cloves. His reward was a heraldric symbol for his family coat-of-arms that included 2 cinnamon sticks , three nutmegs and twelve cloves B. Cultural Influence
Elihu Yale, made his wealth as a spice merchant in the latter 17th century and was the financial base for Yale University in Connecticut. Cultural Influence continued…
In an effort to maintain tight control of the clove trees, the Dutch destroyed any that sprouted naturally outside of their areas of control. This infuriated natives who had the tradition of planting a clove tree at the birth of a child. The tree’s well-being was directly related to the child’s well-being so a deep hatred of the Dutch grew in native communities.
C. Cloves-From harvest to end use • The largest producers of cloves are Zanzibar, Tanzania, Madagascar and Indonesia, as well as southern India. • Trees are planted in shade and take five years to produce flowers. • Buds are picked by hand and sun-dried
To market… • Cloves are the small reddish brown flower bud • Today’s clove farmers are using advanced technology to produce better quality and a more consistent crop.
Uses for cloves • Flavoring for foods- cloves are a favorite seasoning for Indian curries, for pickling, to accent hams or fruits as well as hot drinks. • Used as an ingredient in Worchestershire sauce • Used in spice cakes
1880Robert Bently & Henry Trimen • “Both cloves and the oil are stimulant, aromatic, and carminative. Cloves in substance or infusion are sometimes given to relieve nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, to relieve flatulence, and to except weak digestion. The oil of cloves sometimes affords relief when introduced into the cavity of a carious tooth.” Medicinal plants: being descriptions with original figures of the principal plants employed in medicine and an account of the characters, properties, and uses of their parts and products of medicinal value.
Traditional medicine Indigestion Diarrhea Hernia Ringworm Athlete’s foot Respiratory Anti-gout medicine Relieves toothache Cures insomnia Local anesthetic Miscellaneous uses Personal hygiene such as toothpaste Flavoring Perfumery Cosmetics Toiletries Clove cigarettes Other uses for cloves
D. Governmental actions • The value of cloves led European traders to take extreme actions to control the supply and therefore the price of the spice. • The sultans who ruled over the two main clove producing islands, Ternate and Tidore played the European countries against each other. • When conflict over trade rights occurred between Catholic countries, the Pope negotiated the Line of Demarcation and later the Treaty of Tordesillas to fairly divide the control of newly discovered spice producing islands
The Dutch enter the scene • Dutch traders manage to get a foot in to the clove trade through an agreement with Portugal • Spain takes over Portugal and cuts the Dutch out of the trade which results in their total control and an increase in the value of the spice • Eventually the Dutch East India company (1602) used strong arm measures to take a vise-like grip of the clove industry.
Finally, the Dutch monopoly is broken • Despite Dutch attempts to thwart others from growing clove trees by burning, uprooting trees and soaking seeds in lime as well as threats of the death penalty, high on the side of the volcano grows the world’s oldest clove tree, Afo. It’s seedlings were secretly transported to Zanzibar in 1770 and formed the base of a new clove supply for the world.
Recent events in the cloves market • Multi-national spice companies control the business from harvest to retail sales crowding out spice traders. • One reason for the harvest to table control is new laws regarding purity of the product to avoid any contaminants • The Indian Spices Board is involved in helping members obtain ISO certification. • Global trade has evolved to the degree that no one market can effectively corner the market and boost prices.
Bibliography • "China and the Trade in Cloves, circa 960-1435. - The Journal of the American Oriental Society | HighBeam Research - FREE Trial." Research - Articles - Journals | Find Research Fast at HighBeam Research. The Journal of the American Oriental Society, 1 Jan. 1993. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-14320829.html>. • "Clove,Natural Clove,Clove Spice,Supplier of Natural Clove,Clove Spice Exporter,Clove from India." Indian Spices Supplier,Indian Cooking Spices,Spices from India,Cooking Spices Supplier,Cooking Spices from India. Spice Trade B2B Marketplace. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://www.spice-trade.com/clove.html>. • Dobbins, Lee. "History of Cloves." InDepthInfo: Information Delivered In-Depth. 2007-2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://www.indepthinfo.com/cloves/story.shtml>. • "Herb & Spice Market." Lionel Hitchen USA - Supplier of Lemon and Other Citrus Oils, Spice Extracts and Flavors. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://www.lhitchenusa.com/herb_spice_market_report.html>. • "History About Clove Cigarettes." Clove Cigarettes Store. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://www.clovecigarettesstore.com/clove-cigarettes-history.html>. • "The Spice Trade - A Taste of Adventure." The Epicentre Exotic Herbs and Spices. The Economist. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/spicetrd.html>. • "Spices:Exotic Flavors and Medicines." Medicinal Spices Exhibit-UCLA Biomedical Library:History and Special Collections. UCLA. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm>.
