Botanical name - Eugenia caryophyllus
Country of Origin - Sri Lanka
Cloves are a key ingredient in many spice mixtures made for use in the kitchen. In fact, the popular Chinese Five Spices has cloves as one of its ingredients. Cloves are an ingredient of curry powder, widely used in Indian cooking. It is also a key ingredient in Moroccan ras el hanout, Garam Masala and even the French have a use for it in their quatre épices. You can even find cloves in unexpected places such as Worcestershire sauce.
Cloves are very popular in Indian cuisine and North Indian cooking uses cloves in almost every side dish or sauce that they make. Typically, you will find them used ground along with other spices. Cloves are also commonly found in various tea blends.
Cloves are useful in the kitchen and can add a new dimension to some of your old dishes. However, be careful, these little flower buds pack a big punch. When using cloves in cooking, it’s best to be cautious. Use them sparingly.