Flowers with 4 petals pinkish white are characterized by their red sepals persistent.Before flowering, the flower buds are called "cloves". It was at this time that theharvest before letting them dry in the sun until they are dark brown.
Today, 95% of world production of cloves is used for the manufacture of kretekcigarettes in Indonesia.
But the cloves are also used extensively as a spice in cooking, particularly in North Africa, in the Middle East and some Asian countries.
It is also used in dentistry because the cloves have antiseptic and anesthetic properties recognized for a long time.