Clove

spice · aromatic · Indonesia · super useful

Flower bud spice. Cloves are actually unopened flower buds from a tree called Syzygium aromaticum. People pick them before they bloom, dry them in the sun, and turn them into the dark, knobby spice you might smell in baked goods or ham.

Indonesian home. Cloves come from the Maluku Islands in Indonesia, sometimes called the Moluccas. This tropical region is the original home of clove trees, and the spice was so valuable in ancient times that traders sailed across oceans just to find them.

Powerful smell. One clove has such a strong, warm aroma that it can flavor entire dishes. The smell comes from oils inside the bud, and it's so potent that cloves are used in toothpaste, soaps, perfumes, and other products to add fragrance.

Year-round harvest. Fresh cloves are available somewhere in the world every single month because different countries harvest them at different times of year. This means clove supplies never run out, even though they only grow in tropical places.

Kitchen superstar. Cloves add a warm, slightly sweet and spicy kick to cooking. You'll find them in curries, pickles, desserts, and holiday dishes like gingerbread and mulled cider.