CLOVES!

It’s that time of year where cloves start finding their way into things...like these baked apples.

Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree native to Indonesia. While the majority of the global crop is used for clove cigarettes, the wide range of medicinal uses of clove has made it a regular in home remedies in many cultures. It is the first ingredient in “Thieves oil” which is used to kill germs and increase immunity. It originates from a story of four thieves who robbed bodies during the bubonic plague without contracting the disease.

Botanical name: Eugenia caryophyllata

Parts used: buds

Rasa: pungent, slightly bitter

Virya: cooling

Vipaka: sweet

Qualities: penetrating

Actions: increase agni, improve digestion, analgesic, clove oil especially useful for gums and toothache.