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
馃嚤馃嚲 Libya and 1 morePilpelchuma驻诇驻诇爪'讜诪讛
A steamed chili and garlic paste from Libyan Jewish cuisine, now common in Israel.Hot and fiery 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚜馃嚞 EgyptShatta卮胤丞
A fermented chili and garlic condiment from the LevantHot and fiery 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚲馃嚜 Yemen and 1 moreZhug爻丨賵賯
A Yemeni hot sauce of crushed chilies, garlic, and corianderHot and fiery 路 Sharp and pungent
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
馃嚡馃嚧 Jordan and 5 moreBaharat亘賴丕乇丕鬲
A versatile Middle Eastern spice blend used to season meats and soups.Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Sharp and pungent
馃嚲馃嚜 Yemen and 1 moreHawaij丨賵丕賷噩
A ground Yemeni spice blend used for soups, coffee, and everyday cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Earthy and deep
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyPeperoncino
A hot Italian chili pepper used in southern cuisine, dried and crushed for heat.Chilli 路 Hot and fiery 路 Sharp and pungent
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
馃嚞馃嚪 Greece and 3 moreWhite mustard
The beige seeds of a Mediterranean annual, ground into mild yellow condiments.Seed 路 Sharp and pungent
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
馃嚤馃嚲 Libya and 5 moreWhorled savoryza'atar rumi; za'atar franji
A pungent Mediterranean shrub with dark leaves and pink flowers, used in ancient cooking and modern herbal teas.Sharp and pungent 路 Herbal and green
馃嚠馃嚤 Israel and 5 moreCoriander
The leaves and dried seeds of an annual Mediterranean herb used in cuisines worldwide.Leaf 路 Citrus and bright 路 Warm and sweet-spiced
馃嚛馃嚳 Algeria and 5 moreBlack mustard
The dark seeds of an annual plant, used whole in oil or ground into a sharp paste.Sharp and pungent 路 Hot and fiery
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Black mustard: AnRo0002, CC0, source
- Peperoncino: Ramac, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- White mustard: Ariel Palmon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Black cumin: AndreHolz at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Caper: IssamBarhoumi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Urfa biber: Fornax, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pilpelchuma: 诪讗讜专 注讟讬讛, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hawaij: Mx. Granger, CC0, source
- Shatta: 2kbfloppadisk, CC0, source
- Galbanum: Ma拧a Sinreih in Valentina Vivod, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Zhug: DonIncognito, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mastic: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Whorled savory: Marco Barberini, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Coriander: Thamizhpparithi Maari, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bay Laurel: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, source