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The Turkish pantry

Cloves

A few whole cloves add a strong aroma to spiced drinks and compotes. Count them carefully and strain or remove them before serving so the hard buds are not left in a glass.

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Whole dried clove flower buds used as a culinary spice. Ground cloves have the same botanical origin but behave differently in a drink; neither is clove oil.

Whole dried cloves filling a blue floral bowl, with softly blurred blue water and greenery behind it.

Types & forms

Whole cloves

Hard buds that can be counted and removed after simmering or steeping.

Ground cloves

Fine spice that remains dispersed in food. A ground-spice nutrient table is not a measurement of a strained clove infusion.

What to look for when buying

  • Choose a sealed pack of culinary whole cloves rather than clove oil, extracts or decorative scented material.
  • Look for intact dry buds with a distinct aroma and no signs of dampness or mold.

Prepare & cook

  • Use the count specified by the recipe; the flavor is strong, so do not replace a few buds with spoonfuls.
  • Strain drinks thoroughly or lift out the cloves after cooking. Check the serving vessel for any buds left behind.

Store it well

  • Keep tightly closed in a cool, dry cupboard, away from the hob, steam and sunlight.
  • Use a dry spoon and replace spices that have lost their aroma. Discard any product affected by moisture or mold.

Substitutions depend on the dish

Ground cloves

Cannot be removed in the same way and can make a drink cloudy or gritty; use only in an adapted recipe.

Clove oil or extract

Much more concentrated and a different product; not a substitute in these recipes.

Nutrition

Government reference example: Ground cloves, dry spice reference [1]

Per 100 g edible portion
NutrientAmount
Energy274 kcal
Protein5.97 g
Total fat13 g
Saturated fat3.95 g
Carbohydrate65.5 g
Dietary fiber33.9 g
Total sugars2.38 g
Sodium277 mg
Cholesterol0 mg
Calcium632 mg
Iron11.8 mg
Potassium1,020 mg
Vitamin D0 µg

Per 100 g of the stated reference food. The ingredient is whole cloves. This example describes ground dried cloves, not a measured whole-bud composition or nutrients extracted into a strained drink. Clove oil is excluded. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.

[1] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Spices, cloves, ground

Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.

At the Turkish table

Kaynar, tamarind sherbet, purple basil sherbet and sour cherry compote use whole cloves in our recipes. Counting and removing the buds makes their strong flavor easier to manage.

Cook with Cloves

Amber spice drink topped with crushed walnuts in a tulip-shaped glass
Adana style

Adana-Style Herb Tea

A warm spice infusion with galangal, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, topped with walnuts. In Adana, kaynar is associated with visits celebrating a new baby. That cultural association does not establish a medical or lactation benefit; this is a culinary serving recipe.