The Hidden Trick: Why My Grandmother Always Poked Cloves into an Onion
When I was growing up, I loved watching my grandmother work in the kitchen. She moved with a quiet confidence, as if each dish carried stories from the past. To her, cooking wasn’t just about feeding people — it was about preserving traditions, showing love, and passing on little pieces of inherited wisdom.
Among all her kitchen habits, one ritual fascinated me most: she always pressed cloves into a whole onion before dropping it into her soups, stews, or broths.
To a child, it looked almost whimsical — like some strange spiky sphere plucked from another world. But for her, it was as natural as breathing, done with the same intuitive grace she used when kneading bread or tasting a sauce with just a sniff.
A Touch of Aromatic Magic
The pairing of cloves and onion might seem old-fashioned, but there’s a clever purpose behind it. Cloves bring a warm, subtly sweet, and peppery fragrance, which blends with the onion’s natural sweetness. As the onion gently cooks in the pot, it releases layers of deep, spiced aroma that enhance the dish without overpowering it.
This technique is actually well established in French cooking, where it’s known as a “piqué.” Chefs often add a clove-studded onion to stocks, poaching liquids, or béchamel sauce to build a refined base of flavor. My grandmother never used the term — but she instinctively understood its impact.
Nature’s Simple Remedy
She also believed firmly in the health benefits of the ingredients she used. “It keeps colds away,” she’d say, tucking her clove-filled onion into a simmering pot of chicken broth. And she wasn’t entirely wrong.
Onions are known for their antibacterial properties and their ability to ease coughs and congestion. Cloves, rich in antioxidants and antiviral compounds, bring their own healing powers. Together, they created a comforting, medicinal broth that nourished both body and soul.
A Natural Air Freshener
Sometimes, that fragrant onion never went near the stove. Instead, she’d set it on the kitchen counter or in a quiet corner of the room. She swore it kept unpleasant smells and insects at bay — long before diffusers and essential oils became popular.
And surprisingly, it worked. The cloves and onion slowly released a clean, spicy scent that gently perfumed the air. I later discovered that this trick isn’t unique to her — households across Europe, the Caribbean, and beyond have used it for generations.
A Tradition in Every Layer
Today, I find myself holding an onion in one hand and cloves in the other, repeating her simple ritual. It’s no longer just about flavoring a dish or keeping colds away. It’s a quiet act of remembrance — a small, almost magical gesture that connects me to her.
So the next time you make a soup, stock, or stew, try it yourself. Press a few cloves into an onion and let it simmer. As the aroma fills your kitchen, you might catch a whisper from the past — the gentle reminder of someone who knew that the smallest traditions can hold the biggest secrets.