Origin of the Spice and History

Clove is native to the Molluca Islands, which were once known as the Spice Islands and are now part of Indonesia. The clove itself is the unripened flower bud of the evergreen clove tree. Once they have been harvested and dried out, this spice is used both whole and ground.

Early evidence of clove use includes an archaeological discovery in Syria from 1721 BC, where they were discovered inside ceramic vessels. Cloves were popular in Europe during the Middle Ages, when one of their main uses was to treat toothache.