Clove
Cloves bring a warm, almost spicy-sweet depth to both savory and sweet cooking that’s hard to replicate.
In a nutshell
Cloves are the dried flower buds of an evergreen tree native to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. They deliver an intensely warm, pungent, and slightly sweet flavor powered by the compound eugenol. Use them whole to slowly infuse liquids or ground to add depth to spice blends and baked goods.
Nutrition
Cloves are one of the most antioxidant-rich spices you can keep in your pantry, with remarkably high levels of manganese — just a teaspoon covers a significant portion of the daily requirement. They also provide small but meaningful amounts of vitamin K, fiber, and vitamin C. Eugenol, the dominant essential oil, has been studied for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, and cloves have a long history in traditional medicine as a digestive aid and mild pain reliever, particularly for toothaches. Nutrition per 100 g.
Culinary uses & pairings
Whole cloves are workhorses in slow-cooked and braised dishes — stud an onion or a ham with them, drop a few into a pot of mulled wine or cider, or add them to pickling brine and rice pilafs. They infuse surrounding liquids with rich warmth over time and are typically removed before serving because their texture and concentrated flavor are too sharp to eat whole.
Ground cloves shine in baking and spice blends like gingerbread, pumpkin pie spice, chai masala, and ras el hanout. Because the flavor is so potent, recipes almost always call for just a pinch or a quarter teaspoon — a little truly goes a long way. Pair with cinnamon, nutmeg, or star anise to build layered warmth without any single spice dominating.
Pairs well with
Substitutions
Buying & storage
Look for whole cloves that are plump, oily to the touch, and a deep reddish-brown color — avoid any that look dry, pale, or shriveled, which indicates age and lost essential oils. For ground cloves, buy in small quantities from a store with good turnover and check that the powder is a warm, rich brown with a strongly fragrant smell when you open the jar. Ethnic grocery stores and spice shops often carry fresher stock at a better price than supermarket spice aisles.
Types
- Whole Cloves: The full dried bud, ideal for infusing liquids, studding meats or onions, and pickling; simply remove before eating.
- Ground Cloves: Pre-milled for convenience; integrates seamlessly into spice blends, batters, and rubs, but loses potency faster than whole.
- Clove Oil (culinary grade): A highly concentrated extract used in tiny drops for candy making and flavoring; use extreme caution with quantity.
Recipes using clove
1 recipes across our recipe sites use clove. A few favorites:
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History & origin
Cloves have been traded for at least 2,000 years — ancient Chinese records from the Han dynasty mention courtiers chewing them to freshen breath before addressing the emperor. Arab traders controlled the spice route from the Maluku Islands (the original ‘Spice Islands’) through the Middle Ages, making cloves among the most valuable commodities on earth. Portuguese, Dutch, and eventually British colonial powers fought bitterly to monopolize the trade in the 16th and 17th centuries. The French smuggled clove seedlings out of Dutch-controlled Maluku in the late 18th century, eventually spreading cultivation to Mauritius, Zanzibar, and Madagascar — regions that remain major producers today.
How it’s made
Cloves come from Syzygium aromaticum, a tropical evergreen tree that can grow to around 40 feet tall and live for over a century. The trees begin bearing buds after about five to six years and are typically harvested once or twice a year depending on the region. Farmers pick the flower buds by hand just before they open — once they bloom, the flavor compounds diminish rapidly. The fresh buds are a rosy pink and quickly turn the familiar deep reddish-brown as they sun-dry over several days. The drying process concentrates the eugenol-rich essential oils that give cloves their signature sharp, warming aroma. Most of the world’s commercial supply comes from Indonesia, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka.
Good to know
- Cloves contain up to 15–20% essential oil by weight, making them one of the most oil-dense spices in the world.
- Eugenol extracted from clove oil has been used by dentists as a natural topical anesthetic for centuries and is still found in some dental cements today.
- A productive clove tree can yield several pounds of dried cloves per year at peak maturity, though yields vary considerably by tree age and growing conditions.
- In Indonesia, cloves are a key ingredient in kretek cigarettes, which blend tobacco with ground cloves — accounting for a large share of domestic clove consumption.
- The word ‘clove’ traces back to the Latin clavus, meaning nail — a nod to the spice’s distinctive nail-like shape.
