Spice news
FoodMasala Chai Ice Cream, Nadur Kebab, Dharti Ke Phool: What PM Modi, President Murmu Served Swiss President PHarvestTurmeric Rallies As Karnataka Drought Hits Crop And Raises Fresh Supply Concerns By Kedia AdvisoryTradePatel Retail launches 23-product whole spices range under Indian ChaskaHarvestICAR-CIAE, Bhopal Develops Bio-Based Intelligent Indicators for Quality Monitoring During Post-Harvest Value ChainChilliChili Prices Hit Rp100,000 per Kg: What's Happening?MarketsSpices Board Trainee Recruitment 2026 Notification Out - Apply Online for 21 PostsChilliChicago-Area Brand The Spice Drops Launches a Concentrated Chili Oil That Makes Food Spicy Without Changing the FlavorHarvestSaffron In The Cold Desert? Ladakh Is Putting 90,000 Iranian Corms To The TestMarketsUttar Pradesh Gears Up To Become Global Hub For Spice Processing & ExportsHarvestWhy 100 UP Farmers Are Growing Turmeric to Reduce Elephant Crop RaidsFoodMasala Chai Ice Cream, Nadur Kebab, Dharti Ke Phool: What PM Modi, President Murmu Served Swiss President PHarvestTurmeric Rallies As Karnataka Drought Hits Crop And Raises Fresh Supply Concerns By Kedia AdvisoryTradePatel Retail launches 23-product whole spices range under Indian ChaskaHarvestICAR-CIAE, Bhopal Develops Bio-Based Intelligent Indicators for Quality Monitoring During Post-Harvest Value ChainChilliChili Prices Hit Rp100,000 per Kg: What's Happening?MarketsSpices Board Trainee Recruitment 2026 Notification Out - Apply Online for 21 PostsChilliChicago-Area Brand The Spice Drops Launches a Concentrated Chili Oil That Makes Food Spicy Without Changing the FlavorHarvestSaffron In The Cold Desert? Ladakh Is Putting 90,000 Iranian Corms To The TestMarketsUttar Pradesh Gears Up To Become Global Hub For Spice Processing & ExportsHarvestWhy 100 UP Farmers Are Growing Turmeric to Reduce Elephant Crop Raids
EveryMasala

Salts and finishing mixes

Svan salt (svanuri marili)

A dry blend of salt, garlic, blue fenugreek and chilli from the Svaneti mountains.

Svan salt is a seasoning from Svaneti, a high-mountain region of northwest Georgia. It is a coarse blend of salt with garlic, chilli, coriander, dill seed and blue fenugreek, used on bread, tomatoes and meat.

What goes in

Salt: 36%36%Garlic: 21%21%Blue fenugreek: 14%14%Coriander seed: 14%14%Dill seed: 7%Chilli: 7%14parts

Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.

Made step by step

Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.

  1. Step 1: Dry Dry the garlic slices until crisp.
  2. Step 2: Toast Toast the seeds lightly.
  3. Step 3: Pound Pound the garlic with the salt.
  4. Step 4: Grind Grind the seeds and add the chilli.
  5. Step 5: Blend Blend all parts together.
  6. Step 6: Store Keep in a closed jar, which also keeps the salt dry.
  7. Salt: 36%36%Garlic: 21%21%Blue fenugreek: 14%14%Coriander seed: 14%14%Dill seed: 7%Chilli: 7%
    Finished Svan salt (svanuri marili), by share.

Mountain kitchens

The mix was long made at home in stone houses and is still sold in markets and in the villages. Each family adds a different balance of garlic and chilli.

Use

It is rubbed on grilled meat, sprinkled on boiled potatoes, mixed into cheese and spread on bread with oil. It is used both in cooking and at table.

Where it is used

Grilled meatTomatoesPotatoesCheese

The spices in it

FenugreekBlue.CorianderThe leaves and dried seeds of an annual Mediterranean herb used in cuisines worldwide.Chili pepperThe pungent berry of the Capsicum plant, used to add heat to dishes worldwide.

Also part of it, and being written: Garlic (Dried.), Salt (Base.).

More on EveryMasala

No spices here yet. New pages are added every day.

Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly digest

Every Monday: seven spices you may not know, what is cooking this week, and one blend explained step by step.