ground cloves
Dried, unopened clove flower buds, ground into a fine brown powder -- an intensely warm, sweet-pungent spice used in small amounts in baking, spice blends, and savory braises and glazes. It's one of the strongest common spices by volume; too much reads as medicinal or numbing rather than warm.
Buying guidance
Buy the smallest container available unless clove is used constantly -- because so little is used at a time, a standard jar can sit for years and go stale long before it's used up. When a quantity calls for just a pinch or an eighth of a teaspoon, that's accurate, not stingy -- cloves really are that potent.
Substitutions
- Allspice, in a slightly larger amount -- milder and rounder, with a similar warm-spice character; a close everyday substitute.
- Ground cinnamon plus a small pinch of ground nutmeg -- approximates some of the warmth without clove's intensity.
Tips & common mistakes
Cloves get harsher, not just stronger, as the amount increases -- doubling even a small quantity can push a dish from warmly spiced to medicinal-tasting rather than simply spicier, so increase it in small steps if adjusting a recipe.