Kalliopi's KitchenYIAYIA'S GREEK FOOD RECIPES

Spices

Cloves

Γαρίφαλο · Garifalo

Whole cloves, a spice used sparingly in Greek cooking

Whole cloves turn up in a narrower set of Greek dishes than cinnamon does, reserved mostly for slow braises and for the festive baking that clusters around Christmas, where they sit alongside cinnamon and allspice in the same general family of warm spicing. Corfu's pastitsada, reflecting the island's Venetian trading history, leans on this same combination more heavily than most mainland dishes do.

The whole bud, rather than ground clove, is standard practice, dropped into a simmering pot to release its flavour slowly over a long cook and removed before serving. Ground clove is sharp and can turn medicinal quickly if overdosed, which is presumably why Greek cooking has generally preferred the gentler release of the whole spice.

A little goes a genuinely long way. Two or three whole cloves are enough to season a large pot of stew for several hours, and doubling that quantity out of enthusiasm is one of the more common ways a home cook oversteps with this particular spice.

Photo: Cloves.JPG by Jorge Barrios, Public domain.

Recipes with cloves

17 recipes on the site using it.

A slice of pastitsio showing distinct layers of pasta, meat sauce and golden bechamel Greek Main CoursesGreek Pastitsio Παστίτσιο · 1h 40m · serves 8 Diamond-cut baklava pieces glossy with honey syrup, studded with walnuts and a clove Greek DessertsGreek Baklava Μπακλαβάς · 1h 45m · serves 24 Oval honey-soaked Greek Christmas cookies topped with chopped walnuts Greek DessertsMelomakarona Μελομακάρονα · 1h 5m · serves 30 A pot of Greek beef stifado with whole small onions in a dark cinnamon-spiced sauce Greek Main CoursesGreek Stifado Στιφάδο · 3h · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesPastitsada Παστιτσάδα · 3h · serves 6 A slice of Greek karydopita walnut syrup cake on a plate Greek DessertsKarydopita Καρυδόπιτα · 1h 5m · serves 12 A pot of Greek rakomelo, warm spiced raki with honey Greek DrinksRakomelo Ρακόμελο · 13m · serves 4 Kefalonia kreatopita meat pie in golden phyllo, sliced Greek Breads and PiesKefalonitiki Kreatopita Κεφαλονίτικη κρεατόπιτα · 2h · serves 8 Greek Main CoursesKouneli Stifado Κουνέλι στιφάδο · 2h · serves 6 Greek DessertsKarydaki Glyko Καρυδάκι γλυκό · 3h · serves 16 A round Greek Christopsomo Christmas bread with a decorative dough cross Greek Breads and PiesChristopsomo Χριστόψωμο · 1h 45m · serves 12 A jar of Greek melitzanaki glyko candied baby aubergine spoon sweet Greek DessertsMelitzanaki Glyko Μελιτζανάκι γλυκό · 2h 15m · serves 16 A tray of Greek moustokouloura grape must ring cookies Greek DessertsMoustokouloura Μουστοκούλουρα · 50m · serves 16 Greek Main CoursesKokoras Pastitsada Κόκορας παστιτσάδα · 3h · serves 6 Strings of Greek soutzouki walnut and grape must candy hanging to set Greek DessertsSoutzouki Σουτζούκι · 2h · serves 10 Greek Main CoursesArnisio Kapama Αρνίσιο καπαμά · 2h 25m · serves 6 Greek DessertsVerikoko Glyko Βερίκοκο γλυκό · 1h 15m · serves 16

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