How to make clove tea
A few whole cloves, hot water and ten minutes. Here are three easy ways to make it, and what to know before you make it a habit.
From Yado Market, an African and Black-owned store in Chicago.
Table of Contents
What is clove tea?
Clove tea is simply whole cloves steeped or simmered in hot water. Cloves are the dried flower buds of the clove tree, first grown in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia and now also on Zanzibar and Pemba off the coast of Tanzania, and in Madagascar.1 The tea is warm, sweet-smelling and a little numbing on the tongue, which comes from eugenol, the main oil in cloves.1,2
In many African and Caribbean homes, cloves are already in the kitchen for zobo, rice, stews and spiced tea. Clove tea is the simplest way to use them.
What's in it
USDA lists ground cloves at about 274 calories, 34 g of fiber and 60 mg of manganese per 100 g.4 One teaspoon (about 2 g) works out to roughly:
- 6 calories
- 0.7 g fiber
- 1.3 mg manganese, a little over half the Daily Value of 2.3 mg
A cup of tea uses a few whole cloves that you strain out, so most of this stays in the cloves. Plain clove tea has very few calories until you add honey, sugar or milk.
Basic clove tea
Plain clove tea
- Bring 1¼ cups of water to a boil.
- Add 3 to 4 whole cloves. Lightly crush them first for a stronger taste.
- Lower the heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.
- Strain into a cup. Add honey or lemon if you like.
Two more ways
Clove and ginger tea
- Simmer 6 to 8 cloves and a thumb of sliced fresh ginger in 2½ cups of water for 10 minutes.
- Add a cinnamon stick for the last 5 minutes if you have one.
- Strain and sweeten to taste.
Black tea with cloves
- Steep a black tea bag with 2 to 3 cloves in just-boiled water for 4 minutes.
- Remove the bag and cloves. Add milk and sugar, the way many Nigerians and Ghanaians drink their tea.
- Shortcut: a box of black tea that already has cloves in it.
Tips for a better cup
- Whole beats ground. Ground cloves turn the tea cloudy and gritty. If ground is all you have, use ¼ teaspoon per cup and strain through a coffee filter.
- Check that your cloves are fresh. Good cloves are dark brown and oily, and smell strong when you press one with your fingernail. Dry, pale cloves that barely smell make a flat cup.
- Crush, don't grind. Press the cloves with the flat of a knife or a spoon. This opens them up without making powder.
- Simmer, don't boil hard. A gentle simmer keeps the taste sweet. A long hard boil makes it bitter and very numbing.
- Make a jug. Multiply the plain recipe, let it cool, then keep it covered in the fridge and drink it within a day or two. Serve it hot again, or over ice with lemon.
- Store cloves well. Keep them in a closed jar away from heat and light, and they stay strong for a long time.
Cloves in African and Caribbean drinks
Clove tea on its own is simple, but cloves show up in many drinks our customers already know.
Zobo, sobolo and bissap. West African hibiscus drinks are often simmered with cloves, ginger and pineapple peel. Jamaican sorrel, the Christmas drink, uses cloves and ginger too. See our sorrel and zobo drink recipe.
Spiced tea on the Swahili coast. Zanzibar is one of the world's best-known clove islands,1 and spiced milky tea with cloves, cardamom and ginger is common along the East African coast.
Milky black tea in West Africa. Many Nigerian and Ghanaian homes drink strong black tea with evaporated milk and sugar. A couple of cloves in the pot is an easy way to change it up, with a tea biscuit on the side.
Shop cloves and tea
What to know before you drink it
Researchers have studied cloves and eugenol in the lab for many years, but that research mostly uses extracts and oils, not a cup of tea.2,3 A few points worth knowing:
- Never drink clove oil. It is many times stronger than tea and can be harmful if swallowed.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding? Food amounts of cloves are normal, but ask your doctor before drinking clove tea daily.
- On blood thinners, or having surgery? Eugenol has been studied for effects on blood clotting, so ask your doctor first.2
- Children: keep to small, food amounts.
Clove tea FAQ
How many cloves do I use for one cup of tea?
Start with 3 to 4 whole cloves per cup (about 250 ml) of water. Use more for a stronger, more numbing taste.
Can I drink clove tea every day?
A cup made from a few whole cloves is a normal food amount for most adults. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, take blood thinners or have surgery coming up, ask your doctor first.
Is clove tea the same as clove oil?
No. Clove oil is very concentrated and should never be swallowed as a drink. Clove tea is whole cloves steeped in hot water.
Can I reuse cloves for a second cup?
Yes, once. The second cup will be lighter. Simmer a little longer to get more out.
Can I use ground cloves instead of whole?
Yes. Use about ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves per cup and strain through a fine filter, because ground cloves make the tea cloudy.
Does clove tea have caffeine?
Plain clove tea made with only cloves and water has no caffeine. If you brew it with black tea, it has the caffeine of the tea.
What goes well with clove tea?
Ginger, cinnamon, lemon, honey and black tea. In West Africa, cloves also go into zobo (hibiscus drink).
Sources
- Wikipedia. Clove.
- Review on eugenol, published in Molecules (PMC). PMC6268661.
- Review on clove (Syzygium aromaticum) (PMC). PMC3819475.
- USDA FoodData Central. Spices, cloves, ground (FDC 171321). Per-teaspoon figures are worked out from the per-100 g values.