Clove
Clove (Ding Xiang / 丁香)
Product Overview
Item | Detail |
Product name | Clove / Ding Xiang (丁香), 公丁香 |
Botanical name | Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry (Myrtaceae) |
Origin | China — Hainan; Indonesia, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka |
Part used | Dried unopened flower buds |
Appearance | Reddish-brown to dark-brown, nail-shaped buds; strong sweet-spicy aroma |
Main use | Culinary spice — hotpot, stewing, curry, mulled wine; TCM |
Shelf life | 24–36 months (cool, dry, away from sunlight) |
Grade |
Imported (standard) |
Large-red (standard) |
Large-red (selected) |
Small-red |
Large-red (premium ) |
Small-red (new crop) |
Whole-clove grading (GB/T 22300-2008 = ISO 2254:2004)
Grade | Headless cloves (≤%) | Stems/mother cloves (≤%) | Defective cloves (≤%) | Foreign matter (≤%) |
Grade 1 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
Grade 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Grade 3 | not spec. | 6 | 5 | 1 |
Chemical parameters
Parameter | Requirement |
Moisture (max.) | 12% |
Volatile oil (Grade 1 & 2) | ≥ 17 mL/100 g |
Volatile oil (Grade 3) | ≥ 15 mL/100 g |
Eugenol (typical) | ≥ 70–85% |
Acid-insoluble ash (Singapore spec.) | ≤ 0.5% |
Stem content (Singapore spec.) | ≤ 5% |
International trade grades
Grade | Description |
CG1 (Hand-picked superior) | Largest, uniform, fully closed buds, best colour |
CG2 (Clean quality) | Good, clean buds, minor defects |
CG3 (Standard quality) | Standard commercial grade, more stems/broken |
HPS (Hand-Pick Sorted) | Sorted premium, moisture 12–13% |
Lal Pari / FAQ / Grade 1 | Indonesian grades by stem/headless content |
market grades (大红 / 小红)
Grade | Description |
特级大红 (premium large-red) | Large, plump, dark-red buds — highest price |
大红 (large-red) | Large buds, standard/selected |
小红 (small-red) | Smaller buds, cost-effective |
Inspection checklist (how to distinguish quality)
Check | Criterion |
Colour | Even dark reddish-brown; pale/dull = older or lower grade |
Head & stem | Fewer headless, broken & stems = higher grade |
Aroma | Strong, sweet-spicy = high volatile oil (≥17%) |
Moisture | ≤ 12%; oily, non-brittle = good |
Purity | Low foreign matter & defective buds = higher grade |
Packing Standards
Packing | Spec | Notes |
PP / jute bags | 25 kg / 50 kg | Food-grade, PE liner |
Cartons | 10 kg / 20 kg | Retail/export |
Retail pouches | 100 g–1 kg | Sealed |
Powder | 25 kg paper bags | Ground cloves |
Container Loading (Estimated)
Container | Approx. load | Note |
20ft (20GP) | 10–14 MT | ~12–14 loose, ~10–11 palletized |
40ft (40GP) | 20–27 MT | Estimated |
Storage & transport: sealed, cool & dry, away from sunlight & moisture; ventilated container preferred (water content low); protect from rain; never mix with toxic, odoriferous or contaminated goods.