Cloves are the reddish-brown flower bud of a tree found in the Molucca Islands of Indonesia. They are a highly aromatic spice used in a variety of foods and drinks.

 

Cloves have long been a traded commodity. They were found exported from Java to Han-dynasty China as early as 200 B.C.E. and were widely used in Europe by the late Middle Ages. By the early seventeenth century, the Dutch eradicated clove trees from all but two islands in Indonesia in order to create artificial scarcity and keep prices high.

 

Elizabeth Dyke uses cloves in meat dishes and drinks. Clove water was also a popular alcoholic drink similar to gin.

 

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/traded-goods-dictionary/1550-1820/clam-club-head#h2-0022

https://www.britannica.com/plant/clove