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.

After pepper, coriander is probably the most widely used spice. The seeds have a warm, aromatic flavour but because of the indigestible husk they are usually used in the ground form (see Coriander Ground). Coriander is one of the essential ingredients of Indian cooking. The seeds may be ground using a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. Try dry frying the seeds before grinding for extra flavour.