Spices and Condiments (1+1)

Origin and distribution

• Clove is indigenous to the Molluccas Island of Eastern Indonesia. Later, it was introduced to Mauritius and later on established in the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba. The important clove-producing countries in the world are Tanzania (Zanzibar), Pemba, Madagascar and Indonesia.
• Clove is also grown in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Haiti and India. France, USA, India and West Germany are the major importers of clove. Tanzania accounts for roughly 75% of the world output. The world's annual production of clove is 40-50,000 tonnes, out of which nearly 15,000 tonnes are used for the production of `Kretek' cigarettes.
• In India, clove was introduced in 1800 AD by the East India company and is now cultivated in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. The production of clove in India has not kept pace with its increasing demand and most of the clove requirement in India is met through import from Tanzania, Singapore, Malagasy and Indonesia. However, there is scope for extending the cultivation of this spice along the Western Ghats.