Clove + Fig
A proven pairing. Cooks put them together in 404 recipes, and they share 231 flavor molecules: the top 6% of all ingredient pairs.
Do clove and fig go together?
Yes. 404 recipes in our collection combine them, and they share 231 flavor molecules. That places them in the top 6% of every ingredient pair we score.
Why they work
More than half of clove's flavor molecules (231 of 311) also occur in fig. Among the shared key aromas are ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel) and alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
What each one brings
clove
The herbal side. Herbal notes make up 11% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 7% for fig. It carries 80 molecules fig doesn't have.
fig
The tartness. Sour notes make up 17% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 12% for clove. It carries 111 molecules clove doesn't have.
Add a third ingredient
- Cinnamon: the best fit for both, top 1% of pairs with clove, top 4% with fig.
- Allspice: top 1% of pairs with clove, top 8% with fig.
- Cardamom: top 1% of pairs with clove, top 5% with fig.
- Nutmeg: top 1% of pairs with clove, top 7% with fig.
Ranked by the average of its two pairing scores. Only foods used in at least 100 recipes are suggested.
Recipes with clove and fig
Mostly desserts: 20 of the 27 recipes with a course label are desserts.
Can you swap one for the other?
Only partly. Most of clove's flavor molecules (231 of 311) are also found in fig, but fig has 111 that clove lacks. Clove gives you part of fig's character without most of its tartness. This compares flavor only; texture, moisture and the job each does in a dish matter too.
All 231 shared molecules
See every shared molecule grouped by chemical class, with key aromas marked, plus the 80 only in clove and the 111 only in fig.
Clove and fig questions
Do clove and fig go together?
A proven pairing. Cooks put them together in 404 recipes, and they share 231 flavor molecules: the top 6% of all ingredient pairs.
Why do clove and fig taste good together?
More than half of clove's flavor molecules (231 of 311) also occur in fig. Among the shared key aromas are ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel) and alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
What goes with clove and fig?
Cinnamon is the best third ingredient: top 1% of pairs with clove and top 4% with fig. Allspice and cardamom also fit both.
What can you make with clove and fig?
Mostly desserts: 20 of the 27 recipes with a course label are desserts. Common dishes include California Fig-Apple Compote, Fig Cake, Fig Pudding, Fig and Raisin Cream.
Can I use fig instead of clove?
Only partly. Most of clove's flavor molecules (231 of 311) are also found in fig, but fig has 111 that clove lacks. Clove gives you part of fig's character without most of its tartness. This compares flavor only; texture, moisture and the job each does in a dish matter too.
Compare other ingredients
Ranks compare this pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. Molecule counts are what the studies and databases we aggregate have reported for each ingredient: a measure of coverage, not a full census. How we score pairs
Cite this analysis
Compound Kitchen (2026). Compound similarity analysis: Clove vs Fig. https://compkitchen.com/compare/clove-vs-fig. Accessed 2026-11-04.
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_clove_vs_fig_2026,
title = {Compound similarity analysis: Clove vs Fig},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compare/clove-vs-fig},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-04}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.