CLOVES!
It’s that time of year where cloves start finding their way into things...like these baked apples.
Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree native to Indonesia. While the majority of the global crop is used for clove cigarettes, the wide range of medicinal uses of clove has made it a regular in home remedies in many cultures. It is the first ingredient in “Thieves oil” which is used to kill germs and increase immunity. It originates from a story of four thieves who robbed bodies during the bubonic plague without contracting the disease.
Botanical name: Eugenia caryophyllata
Parts used: buds
Rasa: pungent, slightly bitter
Virya: cooling
Vipaka: sweet
Qualities: penetrating
Actions: increase agni, improve digestion, analgesic, clove oil especially useful for gums and toothache.