Spices of Middle East
Sumac, za'atar, baharat, saffron and dried lime: the old crossroads where Asian spices met the Mediterranean. 30 spices on EveryMasala so far.
Spice cities, markets and growing areas
Aden 1Aleppo 1Ashkelon 1Atlit-Yam 1Basra 1脟e艧me peninsula 1Chios 1Diamante 1Judaean Mountains 1Mount Carmel 1Nahal Hemar Cave 1north-central Portugal 1northern Morocco 1northern Syria 1Pylos 1Rajasthan 1Samaria 1southern Spain 1southern Turkey 1Tell Halal 1Upper Galilee 1Urfa 1AmmanDamascusDiyarbak谋rDubai Spice SoukGaziantepIsfahanIstanbul Spice BazaarJerusalem
Blends of the region
Countries
馃嚞馃嚪 Greece and 1 moreMastic螠伪蟽蟿委蠂伪
A bitter-sweet resin from the mastic tree, used in desserts and traditional medicine.Bitter 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚲馃嚜 Yemen and 1 moreHilbeh丨賱亘丞
A frothy Yemeni condiment made from ground fenugreek seeds and waterPaste 路 Bitter 路 Earthy and deep
馃嚧馃嚥 Oman and 3 moreDried lime
Sun-dried limes from the Persian Gulf, used whole or ground to add sour depth to Middle Eastern dishes.Fruit 路 Sour and tart 路 Earthy and deep
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 2 moreMahleb
A ground cherry seed used to sweeten Middle Eastern baked goods with an almond-cherry note.Seed 路 Sweet and mellow 路 Bitter
馃嚬馃嚪 TurkeyUrfa biber
A sun-dried and night-wrapped chili from Turkey with a smoky, raisin-like taste.Chilli 路 Smoky 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 5 moreBay Laurel未维蠁谓畏
The dried leaf of a Mediterranean evergreen, used to infuse slow-cooked dishes with herbal depth.Sharp and pungent 路 Bitter
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 5 moreBlack cumin
The tiny black seed of a wild annual flower, used across the Middle East and South Asia.Seed 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Herbal and green
馃嚜馃嚫 Spain and 4 moreCaper
The pickled flower buds of a drought-tolerant Mediterranean shrub.Flower 路 Sharp and pungent 路 Sour and tart
馃嚠馃嚪 Iran and 1 moreGalbanum
A bitter Persian gum resin used in ancient incense and modern green perfumesResin 路 Bitter 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚠馃嚦 India and 5 moreFenugreek丨賱亘丞 (hilba)
The cuboid seed of an annual legume, prized for its bitter warmth and maple aroma.Seed 路 Bitter 路 Warm and sweet-spiced
馃嚨馃嚫 Palestine and 4 moreSyrian oregano夭賻毓賿鬲賻乇
The aromatic herb native to the Levant, essential for making za'atar.Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Herbal and green
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Mastic: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Black cumin: AndreHolz at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mahleb: Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database, Public domain, source
- Caper: IssamBarhoumi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Urfa biber: Fornax, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Syrian oregano: Kippi70, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Galbanum: Ma拧a Sinreih in Valentina Vivod, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hilbeh: 卮乇毓亘 丕賱爻賱丕賲, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dried lime: Theinfo, CC BY 3.0, source
- Bay Laurel: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, source