Considered one of the strongest and more distinctive spices in the cabinet, cloves are a tropical spice that have a welcome place in everything from cool-weather baked goods to spice blends, and savory recipes alike. Taste: Sweet Most Popular Use: Spice blends, meat, baked goods Cloves are the unopened flower buds of the tropical evergreen clove tree, native to Indonesia. This reddish-brown and nail-shaped spice can be purchased and used whole or ground.