The word “spice” is evocative of exotic tropical shores, mystery and romance. The story of the clove does indeed begin on tropical shores, but it is perhaps more brutal than it is romantic.
Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia, once known as the Spice Islands, as they were the sole source of nutmeg, mace and cloves. Cloves are closely related to Australian lillipillies, more
