India
Cloves
Farm Locations
We work closely with farmer partners in the following regions of India while incorporating principles of food traceability. This involves keeping all the lots separate right from the start from when it is procured and all the way until it is processed and packaged.
What you get to experience with The Sabor Co. is single-origin spices at an individual farm level in most cases.
Kottayam District, Kerala, India
The Sabor Co. is currently working with a third-generational farmer based in Thalanadu village, Kottayam district of Kerala.
These cloves are grown on a plantation along with rubber trees. As per the information provided by our farmer partner, no chemical fertilisers or pesticides are utilised at his plantation.
Harvesting Season
Depending on the altitude of the clove plantation, the tree can start to flower between September-October and December-January.
The flowers are ready to be harvested as soon as they take on a reddish or pinkish colour, this may take up to 4 to 6 months from when the flower buds first appear.
Varieties of Cloves
There is no particular variety or cultivar for cloves in India but within the trading community, well-accepted varieties are named after their place of origin. These include Panang, Zanzibar, and Amboyan varieties of clove.
Each variety differs in its appearance in terms of size and colour.
The Panang variety is plumpy and large in appearance with a reddish-brown hue.
The Zanzibar variety on the other hand is smaller and thinner in appearance and comes in a black-brown colour.
Finally, the Amboyana variety originates from Ambon Island in Indonesia, is plumpy like the Pananag variety, and takes on a light brownish colour.
It is also a common practice for farmers to name their produce after the village or district that their produce comes from. Given the difference in the climate and the ph level, each district’s clove might have a different appearance and flavour.
Grades of Indian Cloves
In India, cloves are graded as Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3 as per the guidelines provided by AGMARK.
The table below shows how these grades differ from each other.
| Grade | Organic Extraneous Matter | Inorganic Extraneous Matter | Headless Cloves | Immature Cloves | Insect Damaged Cloves | Moisture Content | Volatile Oil Content on Dry Basis ml/100 gm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | 0.5% | 0.1% | 3% | 1% | 0.1% | 10% | 20% |
| Grade 2 | 1% | 0.3% | 5% | 3% | 0.5% | 10% | 18.5% |
| Grade 3 | 1% | 0.5% | 10% | 5% | 1% | 10% | 17.5% |
* The specifications provided above are approximate only and may vary based on the lot.