Cloves

The dried buds of a tropical tree native to the Molucca Islands of Indonesia, cloves (Eugenia caryophyllata) have an intense aroma and an almost burning taste. The name derives from claves, the Latin word for “nails,” and in fact cloves look like small nails, with a stem and a rounded head. Clove oil has medicinal properties and is often used to dull the pain of toothache by people who lack other analgesics.