Cloves

Origin  East Indian

Part Used  Dried flower buds

From a  tree, the term cloves comes from the Latin word clavus meaning nail.  Cloves are the fruit (dried flower bud) of a tree in the evergreen family and are dark brown and dusky red in color. All the parts of the tree have the characteristic clove aroma but it is the flower buds before they are open that contain the most flavor. It is said that the trees are so fragrant that the sailors could smell them from the sea long  before they were in sight of the Spice Islands.

A strong aromatic spice it is used in classical stocks sauces and is popular with meats such as ham and poultry. Cloves are commonly found in many spice mixtures such as Bouquet Garni and Curries. 

Available  whole & ground