Baharat

Summary

Bahārāt (Arabic: بَهَارَات; 'spices') is a spice mixture or blend used in Middle Eastern cuisines. The mixture of finely ground spices is often used to season lamb and mutton, fish, chicken, beef, and soups, and may also be used as a condiment.

A small jar of homemade Gulf-style baharat

Etymology edit

Bahārāt is the Arabic word for "spices" (the plural form of bahār, 'spice').[1] The word originates from the Persian word bahār.[2]

Ingredients edit

 
Ingredients for a Gulf-style baharat

Composition depends on the region the spice mix is from.[3] Typical ingredients of baharat may include:[3]

One example of a recipe for baharat is a mixture of the following finely ground ingredients:[citation needed]

  • 6 parts paprika
  • 4 parts black pepper
  • 4 parts cumin seeds
  • 3 parts cinnamon
  • 3 parts cloves
  • 3 parts coriander seeds
  • 3 parts nutmeg
  • 1 part cardamom pods

The mixture can be rubbed into meat or mixed with olive oil and lime juice to form a marinade.

Other variants edit

In the Levant a spice mix called sabaa baharat (Arabic: سبع بهارات 'seven spices') is used. Its origins are from Aleppo, Syria. Though it seems to slightly vary from province to province, the typical recipe for it is the following spices, ground and mixed:[4]

Turkish baharat includes mint in the largest proportion. In Tunisia, baharat refers to a simple mixture of dried rosebuds and ground cinnamon, often combined with black pepper. In Eastern Arabia, loomi (dried black lime) and saffron may also be used for the kebsa spice mixture (also called "baharat").

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Wehr, Hand (1979). A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic (4th ed.). Harrassowitz. p. 96.
  2. ^ "بهار (Spring)" (in Persian). Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  3. ^ a b غفاری-ghafaridiet.com, دکتر. "سوالات آیین نامه رانندگی". رژیم درمانی دکتر غفاری (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  4. ^ "Kibbeh: The National Dish of Syria". Food Hopping: What the World Eats. Retrieved 2022-04-07.