ounces

An ounce is a unit of mass in the avoirdupois weight system, equal to 1/16 of a pound or approximately 28.35 grams. In culinary contexts, ounces serve as a standard measurement for ingredient quantities across English-speaking countries and many international recipes. The unit is further subdivided into fluid ounces (fl oz) for volume measurement of liquids, which differ from mass ounces—a fluid ounce of water weighs approximately one ounce by mass, but this equivalence does not hold for all liquids and solids.

Ounces are the primary unit of measurement in American and British culinary practice for both dry ingredients (flour, sugar, spices, nuts) and wet ingredients (liquids, oils, vinegars). Recipes specify ingredient quantities in ounces to ensure consistency and reproducibility. Professional kitchens and home cooks alike rely on ounce measurements in combination with volume measures (cups, tablespoons) or metric equivalents (grams) to maintain precision in formulation, particularly in baking where ratios are critical to success.