Whole Sri Lankan Cloves

Clove buds start out pale green, then gradually shift to pink and finally deep red as they mature, the color change is exactly how growers know it's time to hand-pick them, just before the flower would open. What gives cloves their unmistakable warmth, and that faint numbing sensation on the tongue, is eugenol, an aromatic compound that makes up roughly 70-90% of clove's essential oil content. It's the same compound historically used in dental care for its numbing properties, and it's responsible for nearly everything people associate with the flavor and aroma of cloves.

Whole cloves are technically edible, but they're not meant to be bitten into directly, their concentrated eugenol content makes for an intensely sharp, unpleasant bite. Instead, whole cloves are meant to infuse a dish while cooking, added to a simmering broth, mulled wine, or braise, then removed before serving, the same way you'd treat a bay leaf or a cinnamon stick. Try tossing a few into our autumn hot toddy or a cinnamon-clove gin and tonic for a warming, aromatic drink. Cloves are also commonly used ground in seasonal spice blends, like pumpkin spice, pie spices, or flavored sugars, but in their whole form, that same concentrated flavor can quickly become overpowering if left in a dish too long or eaten directly.