Organic Whole Cloves by Hatton Hill Organic. Organically grown, harvested and dried in India. Packed in the UK. Cloves are native to Indonesia's fabled Spice Islands, although these days they're grown in a number of tropical countries. They're flower buds that are harvested before they blossom and then dried. Cloves were so sought after during colonial times that in 1667, after the Second Anglo-Dutch War, Britain ceded the islands to the Netherlands in exchange for a settlement then named New Amsterdam – better known today as Manhattan. INGREDIENTS Organic Whole Cloves SAFETY WARNING Allergen Information: Packed on premises that handles nuts, seeds, cereals, soya gluten. MANUFACTURER CONTACT INFORMATION Packed in the UK by Hatton Hill, Unit 15, 8 Argall Avenue, London E10 7QE. More information visit www.hattonhill.com See moreCertified as organic by the UK's Soil Association (licence no. DA22427). Both whole and ground up, they're used to add flavour to sauces (they're a key ingredient in classic béchamel sauce), soups and rice dishes (particularly in Indian cuisine – think curries, biryanis and pilafs), and they add a wonderfully warming note to mulled wine and cider, to iced teas, and to chai, an aromatic milky tea that's a staple in India. Cloves are a terrific addition to meat and vegetable dishes (use them to stud Christmas ham or roasted vegetables such as pumpkin and squash, for example), fruit preparations, baked goods, desserts, and hot and cold drinks. Our organic whole cloves have a pungent warmth and an intense flavor and aroma that's in a similar vein to nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. Ground up, cloves are a key ingredient in such famous spice blends as Chinese five-spice powder, garam masala and American pumpkin pie spice.