To help you understand them we'll sort them into groups. Indispensable to any kitchen, they are used separately as well as together in many kinds of dishes. It is generally used whole and removed before service, since it retains its tough, brittle texture even after long cooking. Bay leaf comes from the sweet bay or laurel tree, the same tree whose fresh leaves crowned the winners in the original Olympic games. One or two cloves accompany a bay leaf in many a simmering pot.
Cloves are also, in greater numbers, stuck into ham and pork as it cooks.
A dried tree bud shaped like a nail, the clove gets its name from the French word for nail, Lou. Ground cloves are used in baking and in sweet desserts. Thyme has a strong and pungent flavor that calls for sparing use. Powdered thyme is an ingredient of many sauces and meat and poultry dishes. Black pepper, garlic, and parsley play multiple roles.