Alen Morgen November 06, 2025

 

🌿 Meemure Cloves — From Mountain Buds to Kitchen Aroma

Hidden deep in the heart of Sri Lanka’s Knuckles Mountain Range, the tranquil village of Meemure nurtures one of the island’s most aromatic treasures — cloves.
More than just a spice, Meemure cloves represent the connection between the land, the people, and their generations-old farming wisdom.



🌱 1. The Secret Behind Meemure Cloves’ Unique Taste

Unlike commercial spice estates, Meemure’s farmers grow cloves organically, without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The mountain soil is rich, the air is cool, and the rainwater pure — all combining to give the cloves an unusually strong aroma and taste.

These cloves are smaller in size, but denser in flavour and essential oils, making them stand out in both local cuisine and international spice markets.

🌾 2. How Meemure Villagers Grow and Harvest Cloves

In Meemure, every clove bud is hand-picked with care.

🌳 Growing the Trees

Clove trees take several years to mature, and during that time, villagers care for them like family — trimming, shading, and protecting from wild animals.

🌺 Harvesting

When the clove buds turn bright red, villagers climb the trees and gently pluck them before they bloom. The buds are then spread on woven mats to dry under the mountain sun for several days.



☀️ Drying and Sorting

Once dried, the cloves turn deep brown and crisp. Villagers sort them by hand, choosing only the most aromatic ones for sale and keeping some for their own kitchens.

🍛 3. Culinary and Medicinal Uses of Meemure Cloves

In Meemure kitchens, cloves are essential.
They go into spicy curries, tea, and even traditional sweets during the festive season.

Beyond cooking, cloves are known for their medicinal power — villagers often chew them for toothache or boil them in water for sore throats.

✨ Fun fact: The oil from Meemure cloves is believed to have stronger healing properties than many mass-produced varieties.

🧺 4. From Meemure to the World

Although Meemure is small and remote, its cloves travel far. Traders visit during harvest season to buy dried cloves, and some families sell directly to visitors who trek through the mountains.

Many tourists say Meemure cloves have a warmer, richer aroma — proof that organic mountain cultivation still beats industrial farming.



💡 5. How to Store and Use Meemure Cloves at Home

  • Keep cloves in airtight glass jars away from sunlight.
  • Use whole cloves in rice, curries, or teas for best flavour.
  • For powder, grind small amounts — the aroma fades quickly once ground.
  • A few cloves in boiling water make a natural air freshener!

🌺 Conclusion

Meemure cloves carry the spirit of the mountains — grown with care, dried under pure sunlight, and used in homes across Sri Lanka for generations.
When you taste a Meemure clove, you taste not just a spice — you taste heritage.

Alen Morgen

Posted by Alen Morgen