
Cloves, like many herbs and spices have a historical presence that dates to centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ. A ceramic vase containing cloves was found by archeologists in Syria and dates to approximately 1700 B.C. It has been written in ancient Chinese literature that during the third century B.C. that cloves were used to freshen the breath of visitors to the emperor of the Han Dynasty. Muslim sailors traded this spice during the Middle Ages. The trading of cloves is even mentioned in literature such as The Arabian Nights. Characters like Sinbad the Sailor bought and sold cloves from India.

Until modern times cloves only grew in the Spice Islands. The oldest known clove tree is o...