Zanzibar Cloves for ExportWhole Clove (Karafuu) Supplier & Exporter from Tanzania
Whole cloves from Zanzibar, the islands of Unguja and Pemba that gave Zanzibar its name as the spice island: picked as unopened buds, sun-dried, cleaned and graded for spice packers, importers and wholesalers.
Product overview
Cloves are the dried, unopened flower buds of the clove tree, and Zanzibar has been one of the world’s best-known sources of them for two centuries. In Swahili they are karafuu. Most of the islands’ cloves grow on Pemba, with more on Unguja, on smallholder farms where the trees are tended and picked by hand. ShambaFresh supplies whole Zanzibar cloves to the spice trade, cleaned and graded to the specification you buy to.
We supply whole dried cloves in bulk for spice packers, blenders, food manufacturers and importers. Buyers value a clove that is whole, dark and well-headed, with a strong aroma and low stem content, so that is what we grade for. Tell us your grade, moisture limit, pack and destination and we build the order around it.
Origin & farming
Cloves need a warm, humid, frost-free climate and deep soil, and the islands of Zanzibar have both. Pemba, the northern island, has long grown the larger share of Zanzibar’s cloves; Unguja grows the rest. The trees take years to come into bearing and are picked by hand, so supply comes from many smallholder farms rather than plantations. We buy through our network on the islands, so every lot has a known island of origin.
Clove trees are grown by smallholders with organic-minded practices: hand-weeding, mulching and little or no use of chemicals. They are not certified organic; if your market requires certification, tell us in your enquiry and we will be straight with you about what we can offer.
Quality, harvest & handling
Quality control
Every lot is checked against your specification before dispatch: colour, whole buds with heads on, stem and foreign-matter content, moisture and aroma, and freedom from mould and broken pieces. Cloves that fall short are cleaned again or set aside, so what you receive matches what you ordered.
Harvesting
Cloves are picked by hand while the buds are still closed, just as they turn from green to pink. A bud that opens into a flower loses value, so timing is everything. The clusters are taken from the tree, the buds are separated from the stems, and drying starts the same day.
Sorting & grading
After drying, cloves are cleaned to remove stems, headless buds, dust and foreign matter, then sorted into the grade you buy, from hand-picked selected cloves to standard grades. We agree the grade, stem content and moisture with you in writing before the order is packed.
Packaging
Whole cloves are packed in clean, food-grade bags or lined sacks for bulk buyers, or in the pack size and labelling your market needs. The packing keeps them dry and protects the aroma on the way.
Storage
Dried cloves keep well when they are cool, dry and sealed away from strong smells. We store packed cloves off the floor in dry conditions until they ship, so they arrive with their colour and aroma intact.
Transport
Cloves are dry, stable goods that ship at ambient temperature: by sea in containers for bulk orders, through Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam, and by air for samples and small, urgent orders.
Product specifications
- Category
- Herbs & Spices
- Swahili name
- Karafuu
- Scientific name
- Syzygium aromaticum
- Origin
- Zanzibar: Pemba and Unguja, Tanzania
- Form
- Whole dried cloves
- Grading
- To your grade: heads on, stem content and moisture agreed in writing
- Farming
- Smallholder, organic-minded (not certified organic)
- Packaging
- Food-grade bags or lined sacks, or to spec
- Shipping
- Ambient, by sea (container) or air
- Minimum order
- Available on request
- Price
- Quoted on request
- Supplied to
- Spice packers & blenders, Importers & distributors, Food & beverage manufacturers, Wholesale markets, Private-label & retail
Zanzibar’s main clove harvest falls in the second half of the year, after the long rains, and the size of each year’s crop varies, as it does with every clove-growing country. We will share current availability and the season’s outlook against your enquiry.
Supply follows the clove harvest and builds through the season. Tell us the volume, grade and shipping window you need and we will confirm what we can commit to.
Export & wholesale supply
We prepare Zanzibar cloves for buyers abroad end to end: sourcing on the islands, cleaning, grading, packing and arranging the export documents your destination requires, including phytosanitary and origin certificates.
For spice packers, blenders, food manufacturers and wholesalers in Tanzania and abroad we supply whole cloves in bulk to an agreed grade. Terms, minimum order and lead times are confirmed on enquiry.
Zanzibar cloves ship to spice buyers in the Gulf, Asia, Europe and East Africa. See what we supply to each market.
- Spice packers & blenders
- Importers & distributors
- Food & beverage manufacturers
- Wholesale markets
- Private-label & retail
Request zanzibar cloves supply
Send your target volume, grade, packing and destination and we’ll reply with pricing, MOQ and lead times. Your product is already attached — this is a B2B enquiry, no online checkout. WhatsApp is the fastest route.
Direct: [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
What are cloves called in Swahili?
Cloves are karafuu in Swahili. Zanzibar’s clove farms are often called mashamba ya karafuu.
Where do your cloves come from?
From Zanzibar: mostly Pemba, which grows the larger share of the islands’ cloves, and Unguja. We buy through our network on the islands, so each lot has a known island of origin.
Why are Zanzibar cloves so well known?
Zanzibar has grown cloves for about two hundred years and was once the world’s biggest producer, which is how it became known as the spice island. Buyers still look for Zanzibar cloves for their colour and strong aroma.
Are your cloves organic?
They are grown by smallholders with organic-minded practices and little or no use of chemicals, but they are not certified organic. If your market requires organic certification, tell us your destination and we will be straight with you about what we can offer.
What grades of cloves do you supply?
We grade to your specification, from hand-picked selected whole cloves to standard grades. We agree the grade, the stem and foreign-matter limits and the moisture in writing before we pack.
When is the clove season in Zanzibar?
The main harvest falls in the second half of the year, after the long rains. The crop size changes from year to year, so we confirm current availability against each enquiry.
How do I get a price for Zanzibar cloves?
Clove prices move with each season’s crop and the world market, so we quote per order. Send us your grade, volume, pack and destination and we will come back with a quote and the terms.
What is the minimum order?
It depends on the grade, pack and destination. Tell us your target volume and shipping window and we will confirm what we can meet.
Related products
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Whole Tanzanian peppercorns, sun-dried and graded by size and density.
Green Cardamom
Whole green cardamom pods, dried to keep their colour and graded.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon bark, quills or powder from Zanzibar and the mainland.
Spices
Cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, ginger and turmeric — to spec.
Turmeric
Fresh, dried fingers or ground turmeric, cleaned and graded.
Fresh Herbs & Spices
Fresh culinary herbs and spices, sourced and packed to your specification.
Talk to us about zanzibar cloves
Message us on WhatsAppImporters, wholesale buyers, hotels and distributors — reach our export desk for grades, volumes and pricing.
- Phone / WhatsApp
- +255 756 511 232
- [email protected]
- Origin
- Tanzania — Dar es Salaam & Zanzibar