Cloves are the dried, unopened flower buds of the Syzygium aromaticum tree, native to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. They are widely recognized as a potent spice used in global cuisine and are the defining ingredient in the popular Indonesian cigarette known as a kretek. These commercial products introduced the public to the idea of inhaling clove-scented smoke. However, smoking the pure spice directly presents unique chemical and physical challenges that distinguish it dramatically from inhaling the smoke of a manufactured tobacco blend.
The Practicality of Smoking Pure Cloves
Attempting to smoke pure cloves presents a significant practical challenge due to their physical and chemical makeup. Dried cloves are dense and saturated with volatile essential oils, making them poor candidates for sustained combustion. Unlike dried plant matter, the oily nature of the spice inhibits a clean and steady burn.
To smoke pure cloves, the flower buds must first be finely ground. Even then, the material burns unevenly and is difficult to keep lit. The process generates a thick, exceptionally harsh smoke, notably different from a manufactured cigarette. The inefficient combustion produces smoke that is physically irritating, making sustained inhalation difficult and unpleasant.
Key Components of Clove Smoke
The chemical composition of clove smoke is dominated by eugenol, which is the reason for the spice’s strong aroma and flavor. Eugenol is a volatile phenol that constitutes approximately 70 to 90 percent of the clove bud’s essential oil by volume. This compound is released in high concentrations when the pure clove material is ignited.
Burning the spice vaporizes the eugenol, along with minor components such as beta-caryophyllene, creating fine particulate matter that is inhaled. Eugenol possesses local anesthetic properties, meaning it can numb tissue on contact. This characteristic is a defining feature of clove smoke, but it has physiological consequences when introduced into the delicate tissues of the respiratory system.
Health Risks Associated with Inhaling Clove Smoke
Inhaling smoke laden with high concentrations of eugenol presents serious risks to the respiratory tract. The anesthetic property of eugenol, which numbs the throat and airways, is particularly dangerous. This numbing effect suppresses the natural irritation and coughing reflex that normally limits the depth and duration of inhalation.
Because the body’s protective mechanism is masked, users may inhale the harsh, oil-rich smoke deeper into the lungs. This deeper penetration exposes the lower airways and alveoli to high concentrations of irritants and combustion byproducts. Consequences can include severe lung inflammation and acute respiratory distress.
Documented Health Risks
Specific documented risks associated with inhaling clove-derived smoke include:
- Chemical pneumonitis, which is an inflammation of the lungs caused by inhaling chemical irritants.
- Hemorrhagic pulmonary edema, characterized by fluid and blood in the lungs.
- Aspiration pneumonitis, a condition where the diminished gag reflex allows foreign material to enter the lungs.
- Exposure to known carcinogens generated by the combustion of plant material.
The high oil content in pure cloves contributes to a particularly harsh and toxic profile of combustion products.
How Pure Cloves Differ from Commercial Clove Cigarettes
The practice of smoking pure cloves stands in sharp contrast to commercial clove cigarettes, or kreteks. Kreteks are not pure clove products; they are a blend containing 60 to 80 percent tobacco and only 20 to 40 percent ground cloves and clove oil. This composition ensures a consistent burn and a milder smoking experience.
Commercial manufacturers often add a proprietary “saus,” or sauce, composed of flavor enhancers and oils. This blending dilutes the concentration of volatile oils compared to the pure spice, resulting in a less harsh smoke. Smoking pure cloves exposes the user to the maximum possible concentration of eugenol and other essential oils.
The regulatory environment also highlights this distinction, particularly in the United States. In 2009, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act banned most flavored cigarettes, including many traditional kreteks. The legislation specifically targeted flavored tobacco products, distinguishing them from the unadulterated spice itself, which is not a tobacco product and presents unique, concentrated risks.