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Cloves

Spices & seasonings · Whole spices

Cloves

Dried nail-shaped flower buds with an intense, sweet-numbing aroma; used whole or ground in small amounts.

Also called: clove, laung, karanfil, whole cloves

A kind of spices

125 recipes with it

Read the full spice guide: flavour, history and how to use it

Photo: Challiyan, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0-1.0)

What it is

Cloves are the dried, unopened flower buds of the clove tree: dark brown, about a centimetre long, with a round head on a tapering stem, like a tiny nail. They are very strong and slightly numbing, so a few are enough. They are used whole in rice, pickles and hams, or ground in spice blends and baking.

Syzygium aromaticum

How it’s used

  • Whole spices fried in ghee for biryani and pulao
  • Garam masala and five-spice
  • Studding hams and onions for stocks
  • Gingerbread, mulled drinks and fruit compotes
  • Pickles and chutneys

Characteristics

Taste
Sweet, hot, slightly bitter and numbing.
When cooked
Whole cloves swell and release oil in hot fat; remove or warn diners as biting one is unpleasant.
Sold as
whole, ground
Cooking uses
Used for tempering (tadka), Mainly a seasoning, Suitable for baking

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Airtight jar away from light; whole cloves stay potent for a long time.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
274 kcal
Protein
5.97 g
Carbohydrate
65.53 g
Fat
13 g
Fibre
33.9 g
Sugars
2.38 g

USDA FoodData Central: Spices, cloves, ground.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Allspice — Ground allspice, about the same amount as ground cloves; milder.

Related ingredients

Recipes with cloves

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