Cloves was one of the earliest spices to reach Europe and is prized for its strong, sweet, aromatic flavour. It is particularly well suited to flavour pork or ham dishes and is also used with stewed or baked fruit. Remove before serving.

This spice has a strong thyme taste and should be used sparingly. Use in speciality Asian dishes. In particular, it goes well in dahls, breads, vegetable dishes and chutneys.

The ‘blades’ of mace have a flavour which is similar to that of nutmeg but which is not as strong. They can be used whole in pickling spice or milk puddings (remove before eating). There is a wider culinary application for Ground Mace (see separate entry).