Cloves are by far the most prominent of the spices known as "flower spices."

Just before the buds blossom, they turn pink, at which point they must be harvested immediately. One tree yields about a seven-pound harvest. The flavor of the clove is rich, sweet and sultry. The high percentage of Eugenio will produce a numbing effect if you put a whole clove in your mouth. In fact, before modern anesthetics, dentists often prescribed that their patients with toothaches pack cloves around the infected area to numb the pain.