organic, powdered clove Clove is a spice produced from an evergreen tree distributed throughout eastern Asia. Most people are familiar with the powdered form as a baking spice and the essential oil of clove as an effective but temporary remedy for toothache. Clove is also an ingredient in many dental products and over-the-counter analgesic creams. Its efficacy in these applications is owing to a long list of phytochemicals, including salicylic acid and eugenol. Clove is also used in agriculture as an insecticide and larvicide. Specifically, formulations that contain clove compounds appear to be effective against paper wasps, chiggers, Japanese maple termites and mosquitoes. One unusual but useful application of clove is as an anesthetic to help make the transportation and handling of aquarium fish easier and safer. In the home, clove lends its warm, sweet flavor to cakes, cookies and muffins, while its exotic fragrance blends perfectly with resins and other spices in colognes, perfumes and incense. Although clove is the most concentrated source of eugenol among plants, it is often combined in formulations with other botanicals that contain eugenol, including basil, oregano, allspice, marjoram and hyssop.
