Species of medium-sized tree native to Indonesia, now also grown in Madagascar, Zanzibar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, and Vietnam. The dried bud of was very important in the earliest spice trade and believed to be originally indigenous to the Moluccas (Spice Islands) of Indonesia. Strong of aroma and hot and pungent in taste, cloves are used to flavor many foods, particularly meats and bakery products; in Europe and the United States the spice is a characteristic flavoring in traditional Christmas holiday foods including wassail, pumpkin pie, fruit cake, and mincemeat.
