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
馃嚠馃嚪 IranAdvieh丕丿賵蹖賴
A fragrant blend of spices used to season rice and stews in Iranian cooking.Warm and sweet-spiced 路 Sweet and mellow
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
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
馃嚫馃嚲 Syria and 5 moreSumac
A tart, crimson spice made from ground berries of the Rhus coriaria shrub.Seed 路 Sour and tart 路 Citrus and bright
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
馃嚨馃嚬 Portugal and 4 moreRosemary
A fragrant Mediterranean shrub with needle-like leaves used for seasoning and remembranceHerbal and green
馃嚠馃嚬 Italy and 2 moreCommon sage
The gray-green leaves of a Mediterranean perennial used in European roasts and traditional remedies.Leaf 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.
- Black mustard: AnRo0002, CC0, source
- Peperoncino: Ramac, 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
- Sicilian sumac: Dedda71, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hawaij: Mx. Granger, CC0, source
- Zhug: DonIncognito, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Rosemary: Miguel Angel Masegosa Mart铆nez, CC BY 2.0, source
- Common sage: Kurt St眉ber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Whorled savory: Marco Barberini, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dried lime: Theinfo, CC BY 3.0, source
- Bay Laurel: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, source