Clove Print

Clove ~ Syzygium aromaticum

The dried flower bud of a tropical evergreen tree, clove is small but unmistakable — deep brown, intensely aromatic, and rich with warmth. Native to the Maluku Islands and traded across the world for centuries, it carries a long history of value, ritual, and medicine.

Edibility: Edible.
Clove is widely used as a spice in both sweet and savoury dishes. Its flavour is strong and warming, so a little goes a long way.

Medicinal use: Yes, traditionally.
Clove has been used in many traditional systems for its antimicrobial, analgesic, and digestive properties, most famously for soothing tooth pain. Modern research supports some of these uses, particularly due to its high eugenol content.

Beyond the kitchen and apothecary, clove is a reminder that even the smallest dried bud can carry centuries of story, trade, and human connection — quiet, potent, and enduring.