Unknown Arabic Spices

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

The Arabian Peninsula is closely related to the topic spices throughout its history. They have been valued throughout the Middle East for their strong aroma and healing properties. The ability to properly mix flavors and flavor every bite of food has long since developed almost to perfection in this corner of the earth. Herodotus, the father of history, wrote in the fifth century BC the spices of Arabia and points out that the whole country is flavored with them and exhales a smell amazingly sweet.

During the centuries of Roman rule, there was an insatiable demand for gastronomic demands, and it was concentrated in the transfer of Eastern spices. Slow caravans were rolled in an irregular thread and crossed the peninsula, their path being clear in advance - to the west, and the valuable cargo transported - important spices such as pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nard, nutmeg and cloves. Muhammad himself, still a young man, and before the Qur'an was revealed to him, being called to fulfill his cherished mission, accompanied caravans across the peninsula to Syria, transporting goods that were probably spices.

As Islam spread, countless believers came to Mecca from all over the world to perform the hajj or worship, and enriched the peninsula with an extremely diverse culinary tradition. Arab chefs have developed a fine sense of mastery of the secret of flavoring, using an explosive emulsion of flavors in each dish to create a rich and sophisticated taste that has never been dominantly authoritative and leaves the senses tormented by impression, but lavishly enhances the aroma of food.

In many other parts of the world where the climate is hot, food is too spicy. In southern India, Mexico, and some parts of Africa, for example, many dishes are served, literally burning the tongue of their taster, or unsuspecting tourist, and running large drops of sweat on their foreheads.. Sweating has a cooling effect on the body, of course, and it is generally accepted that this is the purpose of such forceful experiences for the receptors. The spicy taste in Arabic cuisine is not extremely strong and intrusive. Although any culinary adventurer can enjoy satisfactorily hot red pepper, richly seasoned with ginger, mustard or onion, the aroma of Arabia is delicious enough to whet the appetite in the heat, but not "hot" enough to cause loss. of body moisture, which is so essential for life in desert lands.

In most cities on the peninsula there are well-stocked supermarkets where you can find spices displayed on stands in single bottles containing colored powders. But it is far more common and more exciting to buy various forging magic in some small fragrant shops or at a stall in Suka (so called market or commercial part of town). There you will be able to buy whole spices that are interesting for examination, because through their careful acquaintance and smelling it is possible to reveal which part of the plant is a "source" of fragrance - whether it is the bark or the fruits, the seeds or the juice. More importantly, the aroma will be stronger and more saturated, as volatile essential oils are lost much faster after the spices are ground.

The seller often offers to grind them on the spot, or sells a pre-ground mixture, which will assure you that it is excellent for specific dishes, such as: rice, pilaf or vegetable stew, but the ingredients of the mysterious spice will be kept secret.

Dates

Dates have always been an important food on the peninsula, where several varieties are grown in the ancient forests around the great oases. They are a spice to every meal and a sophisticated addition to coffee. The various nuts - almonds, walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts and pine nuts - all that grow in the Middle East region, give not only density but also aroma of Arabic foods. Familiar spices and herbs such as cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, hot red and green peppers, allspice, ginger, mint, parsley, bay leaf, basil, dill, rosemary, garlic and onions are more commonly used in local dishes. Some others aromatic Arabic spiceswhich are becoming increasingly famous in the West are also widely used in such lands as: cumin, cumin and coriander. In addition to these world-famous spices that give an unforgettable memory of the taste of Arabia, there are others that are relatively unknown in the West today.

Sesame

Sesame seeds - pale and small seeds of tall grasses, grown in many parts of the Middle East - are extremely important for the cuisine of the region. Pressed to extract high-quality butter or lightly toasted, the seeds add their delicious flavor to a large number of bakery and pasta products. Sesame is an extremely beautiful finish and a delicious coating for Medina's sweet dates stuffed with almonds. Tahini paste made from sesame is mixed with puree of chickpeas, garlic and lemon juice to create one of the favorite dishes of the Middle East - the fragrant hummus. And the seeds mixed with honey are a nutritious and sweet breakfast. Maybe Ali Baba once commanded the cave Open, Sesame! because the seed pods of the plant (with the exception of modern commercial varieties) open suddenly and abruptly when the seeds are ripe.

Cardamom

Cardamom is a key ingredient in this ubiquitous symbol of Arab hospitality - coffee. In the Arabian Peninsula, brewed coffee is usually straw-colored, made from lightly roasted beans, richly "perfumed" and flavored with crushed, large pods of green cardamom, and served unsweetened in miniature cups in a stream of generosity and serving another cup. which ends only when the thirst of the guests is completely quenched. As this is one of the most expensive spices in the world, the generous sprinkling of cardamom speaks of a special tribute to the visitor. Coffee made from dark roasted beans, and usually made with sugar, is drunk from time to time. It is sometimes boiled seasoned with a little ground cardamom seeds.

The use of this wonderful spice is in no way limited to making coffee. Pleasant, slightly resembling the taste of camphor, it combines well with any food or drink - hot or cold. The only challenge is to find an exception to this statement. Slightly crushed seed pods are a standard spice in the traditional Arabic kabsa dish, which is made from lamb with rice. Pods are also a common ingredient in fruit desserts.

Originating in the lands of southern India, cardamom has traveled as a commodity for a short distance to the Arabian Peninsula since ancient times. The plant is part of the ginger family and grows to a height of two or more meters. Cardamom collects its fragrant seeds in pods with curly inflorescences.

Dried lime

Dried lime gives a bright and pungent smell to some varieties of sausage and some fish dishes. It can be used whole and removed from the dish before being served, or put it as a fine powder. To make your own dried lime, you must first let a small and round lime boil for a few minutes, and then you must let it dry in a sunny or dry and warm place for a few weeks until it did not darken and its hollowness stood out after the liquid evaporated from its interior.

Mahleb

The bread is ground from the fragrant cherry-type nut with black fruit, which gives this distinctive taste and aroma to the sweet woven bread, which is popular throughout the Middle East. Cherry nuts are ground to a powder and used to make bread and pasta. Mahleb is not just a "bread spice", but the fruit from which it is made is famous for several other uses. The aromatic oil of the cherry tree is used in the production of perfumes.

Mastic

Mastic, which is spelled mastix in Latin and μαστίχα (mastichḗ - resin) in Greek, is a fragrant resin from the bark of a small evergreen shrub that maintains "close kinship" with the pistachio tree. The scientific name of the shrub is Pistacia lentiscus and it is best known in the West today for its use in such commercial products as varnish and paint, and chefs in Arabia continue their centuries-old tradition of forging their culinary creations and enjoying its unique, fresh resinous aroma and taste. They often add the fragrant spice to meat soups, stews and even puddings. The mastic melts in the food and does not dissolve homogeneously, so it is best to powder its transparent light yellow lumps before adding them to the food. This spice is one of the many ingredients used in the popular shawarma (doner), which is a complex emulsion of marinated meat and fat flavors that revolve around its axis on a vertical skewer placed near a fire.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is part of a large evergreen tree, "native" of the Spice Islands (Moluccas) in present-day Indonesia. The fleshy yellow, peach-like fruits of this tree split when ripe to find the nutmeg nestled in them. It is wrapped in a dark brown shell, which is wrapped in a bright red net, which is also used as a spice, also called in our country by its English name "mace". Nutmeg has long been at the forefront of the recipe list for many dishes in the Middle East and the rest of the world. It is used as flavoring and ilach, whose medicinal properties have led to its official classification as a drug, which is why it is currently banned in Saudi Arabia. Ingestion of large amounts of nutmeg can lead to hallucinations followed by severe headaches, and an overdose can even cause death.

Pink and orange water

Rose water and fragrant orange water provide their sweet perfume notes in a variety of prepared dishes - especially in puddings and cakes, but also in some fruit drinks and salads. They can be used individually or together, depending on the dish and the cook's preference. The essences are distilled from the petals of flowers with water, using a process developed by the Arabs. The colored waters that are on sale today are usually diluted similarities to the original product. Rose water is one of the earliest distilled "works" ever made, and its production has been an important trade for the Middle East for about 1,200 years. The pink essence and the scent of orange blossom are added to the food simply for the pleasure of the scent they impart and for playful play with the limits of perception of appropriate aromatic spice.

Washer

Sheaba is a spice, also known as "old man's beard", which is a lichen from a tree. It is used in the Arabian Peninsula. Its intricately bitter, metallic taste is popular in meat and vegetable stews. A small portion of curly and black-and-silver lichens can flavor a large amount of products.

Saffron

Saffron is often used in more elegant dishes with rice, both spicy and sweet, it adorns any food as much with its captivating yellow color as with its undeniable earthy taste. Chicken and fish are also often flavored with saffron. This one aromatic Arabic spice, which is the most expensive in the world, is made from the stigmas of the autumn-flowering crocus in the Middle East. The twins and parts of the pistil are dried to brittle red threads, which, when ground, turn into a yellow powder. Each flower has only three small stigmas, and 80,000 flowers are needed to produce 1 kilogram of pure spice. Saffron in retail chains today comes mainly from Spain, where it was distributed by the Arabs in the eighth and ninth centuries.

Tetra

The powder of the dark red fruits of the tetra, sumac, provides a pleasant taste of lemon, which is skillfully combined in the seasoning of meat and meat delicacies such as shish kebab. Although it is associated with the poisonous sumac growing in North America, and is sometimes used for tanning skins, the pleasant acidity of its fruits is not dangerous in any way. Sumac is mentioned nearly 2,000 years ago in a writing by Dioscorides, a Greek physician serving in the Roman army, as having health benefits. The ancient healer says that it is sprinkled in sauces and mixed with meat. Nowadays, it can be used perfectly if we want to flavor our homemade pizza. Sumac is considered to be the main ingredient in the mixed spice zaatar.

Tamarind

Tamarind is a small tropical tree resembling the appearance of an acacia. Its name comes from the Arabic word for Indian date. The pulp of its long brown seed pods gives an extremely viscous syrup with a distinctive sour taste, which combines perfectly with vegetables, meat and fish dishes. Tamarind syrup makes delicious and refreshing any cold drink prepared as a lemonade - lemon, water and sugar. This spice is not so exotic and unknown in the West, as at first glance we find it as an ingredient in Worcestershire sauce.

Zaatar

Zaatar is the Arabic name of the herb thyme, but also means a delicious mixture of two parts thyme, one part sumac, one part sesame seeds and a pinch of salt. The proportions for it can vary and other spices can be added to taste. It is usually served with high quality olive oil and flat Arabic bread - such a popular breakfast throughout the Middle East.