Cloves are the young unopened flower buds of a tropical tree. When fresh, clove is pink and when dried they turn into a rust-brown color. The large end of the clove is the four-pointed flower bud. The bark of the tree is gray in color. Leaves are shiny dark green, elliptical in shape with fragrance.
Clove is used in many spice mixtures including curry powders, mulling spices and pickling spice. It is used to treat nausea, indigestion and dyspepsia.
In India, cloves are mainly cultivated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
