Clove, Whole

Whole cloves harvested from the Nilgiris hills and hand-packed by indigenous women working in Aadhimalai's own processing units — a detail worth noting, because the packing work stays inside the cooperative rather than being outsourced, which is where a meaningful share of the value normally leaks out of farmer-owned supply chains. Clove is one of the forest-linked spice crops Aadhimalai's 1,700 farmer-shareholders grow under an agroforestry model, meaning the trees sit within a mixed forest system rather than a cleared plantation. Single ingredient, nothing added, no oil extraction before packing — which matters, because spent cloves that have had their essential oil steam-stripped for the fragrance industry are a well-known way cheap clove enters the retail market. These should be plump and oily enough to leave a mark when pressed with a fingernail. Use whole in biryani, garam masala, or chai. We haven't seen a lab result for oil content or adulteration on this SKU.