Indeed, these dried, unopened flower buds of the evergreen clove tree do resemble nails. Originating in the Spice Islands of Southeast Asia, cloves were used by the Chinese long before the Christian era. When the Dutch established a monopoly in the islands in 1605, they restricted the cultivation of cloves to one island. The French finally succeeded in smuggling the seeds to Mauritius by 1770. The trees grow only in a tropical climate and are now primarily grown in Indonesia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Grenada.
Cloves have a warm, spicy flavor and a highly aromatic perfume.
Because they have a strong, bitter flavor on their own, cloves are mostly used in combination with other spices. They are also used in many broths and stews since the heat of cooking tempers their flavor. Your local supermarket contains both whole cloves and ground cloves. Since this holiday season includes Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, there will be plenty of cooking for friends and family this month. I have included some recipes utilizing cloves from traditional Hanukkah and Kwanzaa menus as well as a fast and easy chili to whip up so you can spend more time visiting with loved ones.