What is a clove of garlic?

Question

If a recipe calls for 8 whole cloves of garlic, does it mean 8 whole garlics? Or does it mean 8 of the wedges?

This question just naturally begs for a photo in the best answer. — DarenW, Apr 7, 2015 at 21:35
When the recipe says "whole", it may mean to keep each clove whole i.e. not sliced or chopped or minced. — Vince Bowdren, Nov 2, 2020 at 19:53

moscafj · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-06 21:27:29Z

65

Each "wedge" is a clove. The entire garlic is called a "head".

answered Apr 6, 2015 at 21:27

moscafj

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23

The heads are also sometimes called bulbs.
– Joe
Apr 6, 2015 at 22:03
16

And, let's face it, they are not all that standard, so a degree of common sense and how much you like garlic need to be applied to recipes that are written this way, or the results will be very different with large or small cloves...
– Ecnerwal
Apr 6, 2015 at 22:39
14

It may be easier to remember this distinction if you realize that the word "clove", as applied to a "wedge" of garlic, comes from the same root as the verb "cleave" (and the corresponding participle "cloven", meaning "split" or "divided").
– Ilmari Karonen
Apr 7, 2015 at 8:24
3

It's very important not to mix this up! While at college one of my flatmates made a spag bol using 2 bulbs rather than 2 wedges. Not to be repeated :)
– Fetchez la vache
Apr 7, 2015 at 9:36
3

@Fetchezlavache I had to search for "spag bol" to find that it meant "spaghetti bolognese." Now the mental picture is complete. :)
– mskfisher
Apr 7, 2015 at 14:22

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Number945 · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-13 01:29:24Z

12

For easy reference , I am posting the picture directly here. Reference : LINK

answered Aug 13, 2018 at 1:29

Number945

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1

The strings also come one bulb wide in a plastic mesh.
– Wayfaring Stranger
Aug 13, 2018 at 22:15

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