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Cloves

Cloves are the flower-buds of a species of myrtle, (Caryophyllus aromaticus) a small evergreen tree, native to the Malaccas, but cultivated in various tropical countries, especially the East and West Indies. The flower buds are collected before they expand, are cleaned, dried, and darkened by smoking them over a wood fire. All parts of the plant are aromatic; the flower buds only are used in commerce. Allspice. This is of two kinds, Jamaica pepper, the fruit of a species of myrtle (M. pimenta), and allspice-pimento, the fruit of Eugenia pimento. It takes the name allspice from combining the flavor of various spices, as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. The allspice-pimento tree is the species generally cultivated, and is planted in orchard-like rows, forming high beautiful trees. The berries are about the size of a small pea, of a dark color, and, as seen in commerce, are surmounted by the remains of the calyx. They are prepared by being gathered before they are fully ripe, and then dried in the sun, when they acquire that reddish-brown tint which makes them marketable.

XVI. Nutmegs and Mace.

THE nutmeg is the kernel of a small tropical tree named Myristica Moschata. The leaves are aromatic, and the fruit is very much like a peach, having a longitudinal groove on one side, and bursting into two pieces, when the inclosed seed, covered by a false aril which constitutes the substance known as the mace, is exposed. The seed itself has a thick outer shell which may be removed when dry, and which incloses the nucleus of the seed, the nutmeg of commerce. The fruit is gathered at various seasons as it attains maturity. The mace, or covering, of a saffron or orange color, is used in the same manner as the nutmeg.

XVII. Ginger and Its Preparation.

There are a number of East Indian plants that are used in the place of ginger, the principal ones of which are Curcuma amada, aromatica and zedoria. The true ginger of commerce is the root-stocks (rhizomes) of Zingiber officinale, a plant much cultivated both in the East and West Indies, as well as in South America, Africa and China. The rhizome, or woody root-stock, which forms the ginger, is dug up when of sufficient size, cleaned, scraped and dried, and in this state is called uncoated ginger; but when the outer skin is not removed from the root-stocks it is called coated, and presents a dirty-brown appearance. Independent of this difference in color, which is in the mode of preparation, it is supposed that there are two varieties of the species, one producing white, and the other dark-colored ginger. The darker kinds are sometimes bleached by exposure to the fumes of chloride of lime, or burning sulphur. Ginger when broken across shows a number of small fibers imbedded in floury tissue. Its well-known hot, pungent taste is due to the presence of a volatile oil; it also contains a large quantity of starch and yellow coloring matter, inclosed in large cells.