Native to the Spice Islands, cloves are considered one of the world’s most important spices. They are the dried, unopened flower bud of a small tropical evergreen tree. The name is derived from the Latin word for nail, clavus. This reddish-brown seasoning has a slightly bitter, allspice-like flavor is used in sweet and savory dishes. It is highly aromatic.

Cooking Notes

• Comes in a 1 oz. package
• Traditionally used to flavor ham by sticking them into the exterior of the meat before cooking. Remove before eating. This infuses the ham with the clove flavor.
• Stud cloves into apples and oranges for an added flavor (remove before eating) or to make an interesting decoration.
• Frequently used in ham dishes
• Stud an onion with cloves and add to a soup or braised dish. This will add the flavor of both seasonings, and yet make the cloves easy to remove.
• Cloves naturally have a high oil content, so add them later in the cooking process so that they
• Use sparingly, since it has an intense flavor and can easily overpower other flavors
• Makes an attractive and effective garnish