Cloves are the flower buds of the clove tree. The clove tree produces flower buds in clusters that are pale in colour at first, become green, and then bright red, when they are ready for harvesting. The name “clove” derives from the Latin word for nail, ‘clavus’ (because of its shape).
Wormwood is an aromatic flowing plant with an extensive history of use throughout Europe and Asia. Said history begins in the early Iron Age when it was used by the Celts to flavour brews. While medieval Europeans mainly used the plant for spiritual purposes, major cultures in Asia such as the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean consumed the plant in a wide range of sweet and savoury culinary preparations. The people of China and Korea also used the plant in acupuncture and the Japanese brewed it to relive upper respiratory tract infections.
The English Walnut has a cousin: the Black Walnut, a native of the central and eastern woodland of the US. Black Walnuts are more flavourful than the English variety, which is why patisserie chefs and ice cream makers prefer them. Black walnut contains high concentrations of chemicals called tannins, which confer multitudinous benefits
