Baharat
A warm Middle Eastern blend, the Arabic word for spices, based on pepper, cinnamon and cloves.
Also: bahārāt, Arabic seven spice, Gulf spice mix, bharat
Baharat is the Arabic plural for spices and is used for an all-purpose blend across the Levant, Iraq, Turkey and the Gulf. A common mixture includes black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and paprika, with dried lime or mint in some versions. Turkish baharat can include mint, and Gulf versions sometimes include dried lime, loomi. It seasons rice dishes such as kabsa and machboos, minced meat, stews, soups and stuffed vegetables. Because pepper, not chilli, dominates, it tastes warm and rounded rather than fiery. Cooks usually add it during cooking, and sometimes again at the end.