TAJ Clove Pods, Whole, 7 Ounce, Aromatic Spice for Tea and Cooking

These clove pods have a strong, aromatic flavor that brings a unique depth to both sweet and savory dishes.Using clove pods is simple. I usually toss a few into my soups, stews, and sauces to infuse them with their warm, slightly sweet, and peppery taste. The aroma they release while cooking is absolutely delightful, filling my kitchen with a cozy, comforting scent. They also work well in baked goods, adding a nice kick to cookies, cakes, and even homemade mulled wine.The clove pods are also very versatile. They blend well with other spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, and cardamom, which I combine to make braised pork. Additionally, they can be used whole or ground, depending on the recipe, which adds to their flexibility in cooking.Overall, I am happy with my clove pods. The only downside is that I wish the bag was resealable, so instead, I have to use a clip to keep the bag sealed.

We absolutely love these cloves and the first thing we did was try some with some tea. The aroma was so pleasant and it turned out very flavorful. We also implemented the cloves in a rice pudding recipe and the result was a better tasting pudding. The quality is there and the cloves can be used in a wide variety of ways, making this a great purchase.

FeaturesThis enhances foods flavorNo refrigeration neededPleasantly aromaticCoarse textureEasy to useNail shapeHardConsiderations:Cloves on thinner sideI wish this had a resealable container.How receivedI received Taj’s [whole] cloves in a well-sealed heavy-duty, thick plastic package (bag) measuring at its widest points, “about” 9” tall x 6” wide and 1½” thick; weighing (7.3) ounces.What was insideInside the plastic package were the cloves of course, said to have a net weight of (7) ounces, but mine was a fraction more, which is appreciated – I am not sure of the moisture content, however, the cloves appeared very dry and on the brittle side, although not easy to snap.What’s interesting about this?This particular bag is referenced in the Hindi language, as referenced on the face of the bag, i.e., Laung. However, It’s also traditional for other cultures, which reference it under a different name, for instance Chinese – ding xiang/Spanish – clavo/Middle East – qurnafl /French – clou de girofle/Italian – Chiodo di garofano/German – nelke seasoning.Look?These here are the traditional dark brown in color dried flower buds, I think these are fresh, and aromatic. However, these seem to be a tad on the thin side. I am used to cloves that are a tad thicker. It could be a moisture content issue, where these are very thoroughly dried or just thinner original material.There’s no work to thisIt’s your typical spreading or inserting of clove (spice) to enjoy. The idea is to recreate an authenticate type of taste to foods. These cloves are a tasty endeavor and flavor enhancer.Taste?There is no accounting for taste, what some may like, others may not. I like this. I think its aroma matches its taste. I also found these do enhance the flavor of, for instance, a holiday ham – inserting (nailing) into the ham.Artificially or naturally dried?I am not sure. Typically, after harvest, cloves are either sun or machinery dried. My only concern is if dried by the sun, then these are more exposed to the elements.Shape?Traditional nail like – the word “clove” is derived from the Latin word for a nail, “clavus.”Aromatic?Yes, slightly sweet too.Imparting of taste?Yes, whether in hot drinks and or foods.InformationThere is a lack of detailed information about this, such as whether gained through fair trade, harvest date, method of drying, and pack date, to note a couple of thoughts.Country of origin?Product of India, as corroborated by the packaging. That is not a historical location that these were grown. Possibly the reason these are so thin.Texture?Firm, brittle like, I really saw no evidence of moisture causing mold.Plump?Not really. On thinner side.Size?Most are between ½” to ¾” in length.DiameterVaries, 3.23mm +/- was the average, others were as small as just over 1mm.Insecticide/pesticide free?I do not know. There is no reference.How many in a bag?I am guessing, going by weight, I estimate (1,000+/-) cloves.Airtight packaging?Not really, but not full of air either.Resealable bag?No. I needed a glass/plastic container after opening these.Certifications?No, not sure these were procured under what would be considered fair trade, that’s a slight negative for me.Organic?No reference these are, nor certifications.Country of packing?There is no information on the bag.Where possibly distributed from?Appears to be Gandhi Foods, Skokie, IL - USA.Best by date?Nothing noted – although with dried spices, these could last very long, so long as stored properly, here the bag notes keeping this away from sunlight.When received?March 2024.Final thoughtsAre these perfect? No. Was I was pleased? Yes, however, some of the missing information on a brand I am not familiar with takes this down a star for me. I wish I knew the harvest and bag dates. Spices can last, however, in my opinion, flavors can be lost over time.I noted these were fresh.Yes, however, I have had much bolder cloves, which could be a function of where harvested and date of harvest.I hope my thoughts added information.

Very pleased with this bag of whole cloves. These cloves are fresh and when ground give a lovely clove aroma and flavor. I've been using these cloves in quite a few dishes I have made. A word of caution, a little bit of ground cloves goes a long way! I used a little too much ground cloves in my first soup and it was overpowering so measure carefully and enjoy this great, flavorful, very aroma filled clove pods.Cloves can be used for more than just cooking. They can be used whole or ground added to make air freshener and a lovely scent around a room. A very good price for a 7 ounce bag of fresh cloves from India.

Taj Gourmet Foods is a good known brand that we normally get from our local Indian grocery store. So if you're ever in a situation where you either aren't near a store that sells Indian groceries, or just don't have the time to get it ordering on Amazon is a great option, especially at its current more than reasonable price point of $10 for a seven ounce bag.These cloves taste fresh and are a "go to" item for me whenever I feel like I have any type of soreness or discomfort in my throat. They're also excellent with chai, some South Asian dishes, and the occasional cocktail. Five stars.

We were getting Old School in my house the other day and made clove orange pomanders (remember those?) and these cloves were great for that--not a lot of them were broken and they all had a reasonably fresh smell and worked well in our little pomander craft. Great deal when you consider how pricy they'd be at the grocery store!

I use cloves a lot for different recipes ranging from baking it with ham or using it as a seasoning for pho. These cloves were broken off into tiny pieces making it hard to stick into hams or into cheesecloth. There were some whole pieces but most of it was broken into smaller pieces. Not sure if this was intentional or not but it made it difficult to use.

As soon as you open the bag, you know what you have in front of you. As a child I used to cover a whole orange in cloves by sticking them in. As the orange dried out it gave off a wonderful citrus clove smell (and then had to be thrown out). This brought me instantly back with that memory. Great for teas, baking, even putting in a bit of water and boiling on the stove for a nice smell.