Ultimate Guide to Middle Eastern Spices

It is a burgundy chile and a type of Capsicum annuum, and is about half as hot as other pepper flakes.

USED IN: Meat dishes.

It is used medicinally to reduce bloating, and congestion, by being made into tea as well as helping with sleep. It has a flavor of fennel and liquorice.

USED IN: Broths, soups, meat dishes and some desserts.

You will most likely get a variation of paprika, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, cumin, nutmeg, and coriander.

USED IN: Meat, fish, vegetables, soups, rice.

It can improve digestion, reduces bloating, and flatulence, and the probiotic effect is good for your intestines encouraging growth of good flora.

USED IN: Vegetable dishes and for making cheese.

Some people chew on the whole pod which acts as a bit of a mouthwash cleansing of the breath.

USED IN: Arabic coffee, and many different types of dishes, usually as part of several spices.

It comes from the inner bark of a tree and is indigionous to India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh and known as ‘true cinnamon’.

USED IN: It is included in many dishes, freshly ground, or as whole sticks to flavor broths.

This another very fragrant, sweet tasting spice that is usually used in combination with other spices.

USED IN: Used widely around the world from mulled wines to cookies and everything in between.

However, the fresh leaves taste very different to the dried ground seeds. The fresh leaves have a fragrant citrus flavor whereas the seeds have a warm, nutty and spicy flavor.

USED IN: Okra, salads, salsa or even in mashed potatoes.

Its flavor is warm with slight hints of lemon, nutty, and earthy.

USED IN: Blends of spices (for savory dishes like chicken shawarma), fish dishes, and very good with lentils.

Long known for its ability to help digestion, it is used to lessen muscle soreness from exercise. The flavor is warm, spicy and peppery.

USED IN: Meat and fish dishes as well as rice and salad.

But this glorious start is followed by a very bitter aftertaste. To counter this mahlab should be cooked.

USED IN: Cookies, breads and other Middle Eastern sweets.

It has a flavor of pine and cedar, and is sun dried to produce small hard bits of resin that are then ground up.

USED IN: Breads and desserts.

Both peppermint and spearmint have menthol in them, with peppermint having the higher content. Mint is very good in relieving indigestion and gas, by speeding digestion.

USED IN: Salads, yogurt, sauces.

It has many purported health benefits such as reducing inflammation, and controls bacteria and parasites in the gut.

USED IN: Bread, making cheese, vegetables and beans.

There can be regional variations as to the spices included. Generally they include cumin, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, coriander and cloves.

USED IN: North African dishes that contain meat or vegetables.

The most expensive spice by weight, saffron is widely used in Middle Eastern cooking. It has a delicate floral flavor, with hints of honey.

USED IN: Rice dishes, soups and seafood dishes.

Shown to reduce bloating, heartburn, loss of appetite, and even diarrhoea it is the go to tea drink in the Arab world. It has a strong flavor with eucalyptus and citrus notes.

USED IN: Bean dishes, along with rice and salads.

This bush is native to the Middle East where the berries are dried, ground and used in cooking.

USED IN: Marinades, rubs, salads, meat and vegetable dishes.

It is used as a way to give food a yellow/orange color. The taste is strong and somewhat pungent, with a bit of a bitter aftertaste.

USED IN: Vegetable and rice dishes, along with smoothies.

Salt, sumac, and sesame seeds are added to create a dip and rub. The flavor of the leaves of the plant is earthy, woodsy, herbal taste.

USED IN: As a dip, fresh in salads and some baked savory pastries.