Herbs & Spices
Ground Cloves Conversion
Ground Cloves weighs 112g per US cup.
Conventionally measured by the teaspoon.
| Amount | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 112.0 g | 3.95 oz |
| 1/2 cup | 56.0 g | 1.98 oz |
| 1/4 cup | 28.0 g | 0.99 oz |
| 1 tbsp | 7.0 g | 0.25 oz |
| 1 tsp | 2.3 g | 0.08 oz |
| 100 g | 100.0 g | 3.53 oz |
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Ground cloves weigh 112 grams per cup on a purely mathematical basis, though cloves are among the most potent spices on this site by volume — a small fraction of a teaspoon carries enough intense, warm, slightly numbing flavor that using anywhere close to a full cup in a single dish would overwhelm virtually any recipe.
Cloves are actually dried flower buds, harvested before they open, from an evergreen tree native to Indonesia's Maluku Islands (historically known as the Spice Islands) — their high concentration of eugenol, the aromatic compound responsible for both their flavor and their historical use as a topical dental pain reliever, is part of what makes them so potent relative to spices derived from seeds, bark, or roots.
Cloves were historically among the most valuable spices in global trade, driving significant colonial-era competition (particularly Dutch control over the Spice Islands) precisely because they were, for centuries, genuinely rare outside a small geographic region — a scarcity that's long since ended with modern global cultivation, but one that shaped centuries of trade history in a way few modern pantry staples ever did.
Cloves are unusually potent even among ground spices, which can make a fading jar harder to notice by taste alone — pinching a small amount and checking for a weaker aroma is a better test than tasting for heat or sweetness.
It's a traditional flavoring in mulled wine and cider, where whole cloves are simmered in the liquid and strained out before serving, similar to how bay leaf is used in a savory braise.
A whole clove studded into an onion (an onion piqué) is a traditional French technique for flavoring a stock or braising liquid subtly, removed before serving, a genuinely different use from ground clove stirred directly into a spiced baked good.
Clove oil, extracted from the same plant, has historically been used topically for dental pain relief, a folk remedy with real pharmacological basis given the eugenol compound's genuine numbing properties.
Frequently asked questions
Are cloves a seed, bark, or root spice?
None of these — cloves are dried, unopened flower buds harvested from an evergreen tree, which distinguishes them from spices like cinnamon (bark), cumin (seed), or ginger (root).
Why do cloves numb the mouth slightly?
Their high concentration of eugenol, the compound responsible for much of their flavor, has a genuine mild anesthetic effect — historically used directly for toothache relief before modern dental anesthetics existed.
How much ground clove is typically used in a recipe?
Usually a very small amount — often ¼ teaspoon or less in a spiced baked good or mulled beverage — since clove's intense flavor can quickly overwhelm a dish if overused, more so than most other warm baking spices.
Why were cloves historically so valuable?
For centuries they grew almost exclusively in Indonesia's Maluku Islands, making them genuinely rare and difficult to source in Europe and elsewhere — that scarcity drove intense colonial-era competition for control of the trade, long before modern cultivation spread the tree more widely.
Is whole clove used differently than ground clove?
Yes — whole cloves are often used to infuse a liquid (mulled cider, a ham glaze) or stud directly into food (like a clove-studded onion for stock) and are removed before serving, while ground clove is meant to be eaten as part of the finished dish, not fished out.