Message #17223

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Well, to name a few among typical Middle Eastern spices .... sesame, sumac, thyme, oregano, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, caraway, aniseed, and coriander.

And then there are spice mixes as well which pick a combination of selected spices .. all in one e.g. Zaa'tar, Baharat and Hawaiij.   Zaa'tar contains a combination of toasted sesame seeds, dried thyme, sumac and salt.  It's usually added to meat dishes.   The mix picks of Baharat varies in different parts of the ME but the standard Baharat-mix has black pepper, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, cardamon, nutmeg and paprika .. all ground.  Hawaiij is a typically Yemeni spice mix consisting of cumin, black pepper, turmeric and cardamom.  More elaborate versions may also include ground cloves, caraway, nutmeg, saffron, coriander, fenugreek and ground dried onions.

All of these are very much grown and available in various parts of the Middle East .. so you can group them as Middle Eastern spices.   I'm pretty sure many of these are also grown in Pakistan too for example, right?  Also, there maybe certain other spices used in Pakistani cuisine which aren't available or not used in the Middle East.  Red chilli powder is one thing Middle Easterners hardly use but in Pakistan they seem to love it .. lol.    Maybe Sisters Zeynab and Ruhi can list some spices specifically of Pakistan.