Cloves
 
Cloves are small, reddish-brown flower buds of the tropical evergreen tree Syzygium aromaticum of the family Myrtaceae. They were important in the earliest spice trade and are indigenous to the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, of Indonesia. The island of Zanzibar, which is part of Tanzania, is the world's largest producer of cloves.

Cloves have strong aroma with hot and pungent taste. They are used to flavour many foods, mainly meats and bakery products. They are used either as whole or in a ground form, but as they are extremely strong they are used sparingly. Whole cloves are frequently used to flavour cooking liquids for simmering fish, poultry, game and meat. Both north and south Indian cuisine contain cloves. 

In the north Indian cuisine, it is used in almost every sauce or side dish in grounded form. They form a key ingredient in the preparation of tea along with green cardamoms. In the south Indian cuisine, it is extensively used in the biryani dishes to enhance the presentation and flavor of the rice. They also form one of the ingredients in many classic spice mixtures.

They contain 14 to 20 percent essential oil with the principal component of the aromatic oil eugenol. Their pungent smell is due to the presence of eugenol. The clove oil is used to prepare microscopic slides for viewing and is also a local anesthetic for toothaches. It is also used in germicides, aromathereapy, perfumes, and mouthwashes, in the synthesis of vanillin, and as a sweetener or intensifier.

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