Pomegranate Molasses is a syrup made by boiling down the juice of pomegranates until it is reduced to a thick, crimson brown liquid. The flavor is a combination of sweet and tart and can be used in place or along with fresh lemon juice. It is often used to dress a fattoush salad, sauces for meats, desserts and as a condiment.
Rose Water is a clear, fragrant water distilled from macerated fresh wild roses. It is a traditional ingredient in Middle Eastern desserts and used alone or in combination with orange blossom water in many desserts such as baklawa, ma’amoul and so on.
Orange Blossom Water is a clear, fragrant water distilled from macerated blossom flowers of the Seville oranges or bou sfeir. It is believed that a spoon of orange blossom water diluted with water and some sugar or honey otherwise known as café blanc can bring your heart rate up and so it is used to treat people who are feeling faint. It is a traditional ingredient in Middle Eastern desserts and used alone or in combination with orange...
Awarma is a Middle Eastern lamb confit or preserved meat that was traditionally essential to a villager's winter diet. It was survival food. Awarma is prepared using the fat derived from the tail of the fat-tailed sheep (as seen above), a breed of sheep (aka Awassi) native to the Middle East . This fat is known as lieh and in the instance of making awarma, it is first minced then rendered over a low heat into tallow before minced...
Dried mixed herbs and flowers (as a mixture or separately) are used widely in the Middle East to make tea. The are a variety of teas, some blends and others are just dried herbs and flowers, for example tea can be made simply from aniseed or dried mint or a mix of wild flowers also known as zhoorat (right jar in the picture). To the left in the image is your usual chamomile. To the right is one of my favourite teas using wild...
Sumac is a tangy, deep red or burgundy spice derived from the dried berries of the non-poisonous sumac bush. It is used along with lemon or in place of lemon to add a tart, lemony flavour to salads, example fattoush, meats, fried eggs, dips as well as added to other spices like za’atar.
Allspice is not a mixture of spices but an actual spice from the dried unripe berries of the Pimenta dioica plant which is native to Central America, Mexico and extremely popular in Jamaican cuisine. Allspice is also indispensable in Middle Eastern cuisine. It is used to flavor a variety of the stews and dishes frequently being the sole spice called for. Advieh, is a Persian spice blend of 5 or more spices. The exact ingredients in a blend of...
Mastic is a gum and an aromatic resin that is cultivated from the bark of the mastic tree: An evergreen tree growing in the Mediterranean. It’s been used for centuries as a natural gum, hence where the word mastication was derived. It is crushed and used in powder form in many desserts in part of the Mediterranean and across the Middle East. Use mastic tears sparingly as the flavour the gum imparts can become overpowering. Note- mastic tears...
Zaa’tar- is a savory blend of dried herbs and spices typically includes dried wild thyme, toasted sesame seeds, sumac and salt. It has an earthy & pungent flavor. Mixtures do vary depending on area and can be referred to as red (having a higher quantity of sumac) or green (having a lower quantity of sumac) and can include cumin, oregano and fennel seeds. However any of these mixtures can be used where Zaa’tar is called for. Zaa’tar...
Verjuice Verjuice (aka as hosrum) is the unfermented, sour juice, extracted from semi-ripe grapes. Verjuice adds a wonderfully delicate, sweet-tangy tone to dishes, salads and reductions. Verjuice is available in some supermarkets and Middle Eastern delicatessens. Apple Vinegar Our family farm in Baskinta is host to hundreds of apple trees of which much of their fruit goes to souk each year. My father retains a...
Tahini is a paste of ground sesame seeds that is one of the main ingredients of hummus and other Middle-Eastern dishes. It can be made into a sauce (tarator) by thinning it down with water and flavoring it with lemon juice, salt and garlic. It is a popular condiment as seen in the falafel sandwich and lamb shawarma.
According to Nachit (2007) & Slow Food Beirut, freekeh originated around 2300 BC, when the attackers of a Mediterranean village set its green wheat fields on fire before retreating. To salvage what they could, the inhabitants rubbed away the burnt layer and found that the grain had ripened due to the heat and that it had retained a greenish hue. This discovery led to the later production of freekeh. Freekeh is burned then rubbed by...
Kishk is a fine, powdery cereal that is a mixture of burghul wheat that has been fermented with yoghurt (laban). It is part of the Lebanese mouneh and is a valuable winter diet staple especially to the isolated village or mountain folks. It is prepared in the middle of September when the cow or goat milk starts getting richer in fat, and after the wheat crop is harvested in June/July. It is also important to note that weather must still be...
Arabic Bread/Khubz is commonly known as pita in the west where it is usually thicker and in an oval shape. Traditional Arabic bread is flat, leavened, circular and usually about 10in/25cm in diameter although it can vary. It is baked at high temperatures causing the dough to puff and create pockets. Once cooled, the bread deflates and can then be opened around the seams and the layers used to form sandwiches/wraps, or pieces are torn off...
Bulgur, is a cereal food made from different wheat species, usually durum wheat. It is sold parboiled, dried and partially de-branned. It is available in 4 grinds or sizes: fine (#1), Medium (#2), Coarse (#3), Extra Coarse (#4). The burghul you see labeled in most chain supermarkets in UK as fine is in fact more medium coarse and so if the grade is very important it’s best to source your bulgur from a Middle Eastern/Ethnic grocer which...
Moghrabieh is sometimes commonly referred to as giant couscous or pearl couscous. Moghrabieh is a form of rolled semolina, like couscous, but it is much larger. The word moghrabieh in Arabic means “from the countries of Morroco, Tunisia & Algeria” and and refers to both the dish and the dry, round pasta-like pellets (about the size of a chickpea) rolled from semolina, which most likely came to Syria, Palestine and Lebanon with...