The baking spice we know as clove starts out as an undeveloped green flower bud on an Indonesian evergreen tree in the myrtle family. When the bud turns red, the spice is harvested by shaking the tree. The dried flower bud, which is actually a long calyx consisting of four unopened petals, looks a lot like a nail with a head at one end. In fact, the common name for the spice is taken from the French word clov, which means "nail." Clove contains several phenolic compounds, and is one of the most abundant sources of eugenol and gallic acid. The spice is also a rich source of the flavonoids kaempferol and quercetin, as well as caffeic, ferulic, elagic and salicylic acids. Due to the collective antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of these compounds, clove is widely used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The spice is also used as a flavor and preservative in the food industry. Background: Cloves originated from the Southern Phillipines and the Molluca Islands of Indonesia. Taken from the dried flowers of the clove. While they are mainly known in the West as a spice, cloves have been used throughout Southeast Asia for thousands of years. Clove has been used to make bitter herb preparations more palatable for centuries. It has also been a powerful aphrodisiac used in India. During the reign of the Han dynasty, anyone who planned to address the Chinese Emperor was expected to put cloves in his or her mouth in order to improve bad breath. Description: The clove tree is an evergreen tree that grows up to 50 feet. The clove tree is pyramid-shaped and strongly aromatic. Twice each year unopened flower buds can be picked and dried. The dried flower buds are called cloves. Leaves and stems can be used, but the flower buds contain the most essential oil. CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS PLEASE NOTE:your items will arrive with stickers in compliance with California Proposition 65.
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