WHOLE CLOVES

Cloves are a spice, derived from the sun-dried buds of a plant (Syzygium Aromaticum) native to the Moluccan Islands.
The use of cloves has spread since ancient times and has always been an expensive and sought-after spice.
Their intoxicating scent struck travelers who approached tropical Africa and the East Indies from the sea, where this spice grew.
They were already used in China in the third century BC. and then to Rome for food and medicinal uses.
Cloves are used not only as a spice, but also as an anesthetic and antiseptic as they contain eugenol.

How are cloves used?

In the kitchen they are used in both sweet and savory dishes: they are used to flavor sauces, meats (especially game), some types of curry and as ingredients for glazed ham.
In desserts, cloves are used in cooked fruit, in flavored wines and in many liqueurs, to give their strong and penetrating flavor.