Yum, cloves. At this time of year, the spicy, woody and sweet floral aroma of this spice makes us think of gingerbread, mulled cider and pumpkin pie. But cloves can add a unique flavor to your dishes year-round—in salads, French toast, even seafood dishes such as crab cakes. Besides providing flavor and fragrance, cloves provide health benefits—every time you sprinkle them on your food. Find out what’s inside this delicious-smelling spice…

A clove actually is the dried unopened flower bud of the clove tree, a tropical evergreen that once grew wild in China and on the Molucca “Spice” Islands, but today it also is found in Sri Lanka, Brazil, Madagascar and Zanzibar. With their strong, floral aroma and slightly bitter but sweet taste, cloves can be used as a sweet or a savory spice in your kitchen. Whether used whole or ground, cloves offer health benefits.

Medicinal properties: Cloves contain an oil that is believed to have powerful antibacterial properties. A stimulant, it has been used to relieve digestive problems, such as flatulence and indigestion. Cloves also can help circulation and metabolism, and they regulate temperature.

Nutritional benefits: Cloves contain calcium, manganese, potassium, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and C.

Ways to use: You can add whole cloves to cooked desserts, such as stewed fruits…or sprinkle ground cloves when baking cookies or cakes. Add to chicken, vegetable or fish dishes for a slightly Indian or curry flavor…to rice or quinoa…to sauerkraut recipes, especially slaw containing apples, since cloves and apples make a nice pairing.

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