Clove bud

Syzgium aromaticum

Instantly recognisable and a common staple in spice draws around the world, clove is a key spice used for its earthy, spicy aroma.

Clove bud oil is distilled from the flowering buds of the clove tree. Clove stem and leaf oil is also produced by Fairoils, however Clove bud oil is considered the premium oil of the three. The tree is endemic to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia, but now also grows in other tropical locations, including Madagascar.

Clove was traded heavily in the Middle Ages through the infamous Indian Ocean Trade. This led to seed being transported and then grown in other tropical locations including Zanzibar, and eventually Madagascar, where Fairoils now grows it.

Our clove comes exclusively from small-scale farmers along the lower-east coast of Madagascar. These farmers live in remote and challenging locations and farm trees which have been passed down through their families for generations. We work with over 4,000 farmers scattered around the coastal town of Mananjary.

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Production and Extraction

The clove tree belongs to the Myrtaceae family which are woody, oil-containing trees with flowers that cluster in multiples of four or five. Clove trees grow well in low-elevation coastal regions, with a tropical, humid climate and regular rainfall. The entire east coast of Madagascar is ideal for clove growth and Madagascar is the second-largest producer of clove buds, behind Indonesia. The tree reaches mature flowering at 20 years and these flowers develop into the fruit (bud) which is picked and dried by our small-scale farming families. The harvest in Madagascar is between October and January.

The clove bud oil is extracted by steam distillation at Fairoils’ own facility in Mananjary. Fairoils steam-distils clove buds from raw material purchased during the harvest period. We process using biomass boilers run on briquettes, which are compressed biowaste of distilled clove buds and cinnamon bark.

All clove oils – bud, stem and leaf are rich in eugenol, but Clove bud is distinguished by its high level of eugenol acetate. Fairoils supplies all the relevant technical and quality documents on request.
Packaging: 25kg & 200kg drums