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
馃嚠馃嚤 IsraelNufar basil
A sweet basil variety bred in Israel to resist a deadly fungal wilt disease.Leaf 路 Sweet and mellow
馃嚨馃嚫 Palestine and 4 moreGreek sage
A hairy Mediterranean shrub with pink flowers and edible fruit galls.Leaf 路 Herbal and green 路 Sweet and mellow
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
馃嚤馃嚙 Lebanon and 5 moreZa'atar夭賻毓賿鬲賻乇
A Levantine blend of dried herbs, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt used in breads and dips.Blend 路 Earthy and deep 路 Citrus and bright
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
馃嚫馃嚲 Syria and 1 moreAleppo pepper賮賱賮賱 丨賱亘賷
A moderately spicy, fruity flake from Syria and Turkey, named for the city of Aleppo.Chilli 路 Hot and fiery 路 Sweet and mellow
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
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 3 moreAnise
The sweet, licorice-flavored seed of an annual herb from the Mediterranean basin.Seed 路 Sweet and mellow 路 Anise and liquorice
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
馃嚨馃嚫 Palestine and 4 moreGreek sage
A hairy Mediterranean shrub with pink flowers and edible fruit galls.Leaf 路 Herbal and green 路 Sweet and mellow
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
馃嚤馃嚙 Lebanon and 5 moreZa'atar夭賻毓賿鬲賻乇
A Levantine blend of dried herbs, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt used in breads and dips.Blend 路 Earthy and deep 路 Citrus and bright
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
馃嚫馃嚲 Syria and 1 moreAleppo pepper賮賱賮賱 丨賱亘賷
A moderately spicy, fruity flake from Syria and Turkey, named for the city of Aleppo.Chilli 路 Hot and fiery 路 Sweet and mellow
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
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 3 moreAnise
The sweet, licorice-flavored seed of an annual herb from the Mediterranean basin.Seed 路 Sweet and mellow 路 Anise and liquorice
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.
- Black mustard: AnRo0002, CC0, source
- Black cumin: AndreHolz at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Anise: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Urfa biber: Fornax, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sicilian sumac: Dedda71, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pilpelchuma: 诪讗讜专 注讟讬讛, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Syrian oregano: Kippi70, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hawaij: Mx. Granger, CC0, source
- Mahleb: Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database, Public domain, source
- Greek sage: This file is a work by Ester Inbar ( user:ST or he:user:ST ). More of, Attribution, source
- Aleppo pepper: Badagnani, CC BY 3.0, source
- Za'atar: Sjschen, CC BY 3.0, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Coriander: Thamizhpparithi Maari, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bay Laurel: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, source