Fig + Clove
A proven pairing. Cooks put them together in 404 recipes, and they share 231 flavor molecules: the top 6% of all ingredient pairs.
Do fig and clove 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
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.
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.
Add a third ingredient
- Cinnamon: the best fit for both, top 4% of pairs with fig, top 1% with clove.
- Allspice: top 8% of pairs with fig, top 1% with clove.
- Cardamom: top 5% of pairs with fig, top 1% with clove.
- Nutmeg: top 7% of pairs with fig, top 1% with clove.
Ranked by the average of its two pairing scores. Only foods used in at least 100 recipes are suggested.
Recipes with fig and clove
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 111 only in fig and the 80 only in clove.
Fig and clove questions
Do fig and clove 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 fig and clove 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 fig and clove?
Cinnamon is the best third ingredient: top 4% of pairs with fig and top 1% with clove. Allspice and cardamom also fit both.
What can you make with fig and clove?
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 clove instead of fig?
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: Fig vs Clove. https://compkitchen.com/compare/fig-vs-clove. Accessed 2026-11-04.
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_fig_vs_clove_2026,
title = {Compound similarity analysis: Fig vs Clove},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compare/fig-vs-clove},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-04}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.