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Baharat

This article is about the spice blend. For terms relating to India, see Bharat (term). For other uses, see Bharat (disambiguation).

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.[1][2]

A small jar of homemade Gulf-style baharat

History

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According to historian Nawal Nasrallah, medieval Arabic cookbooks, such as the 10th century book Kitab al-Tabikh by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq and the 13th century Aleppan Al-Wusla ila ‘l-Habeeb provide recipes for several spice blends, which were referred to with names like atraf al-teeb (أطراف الطيب), the name baharat did not come to refer to spice mixes until the Ottoman Empire.[3] One recipe provided by Al-Wusla ila ‘l-Habeeb contained nutmeg, cloves, rose buds, green cardamom, among others.[3][4]

Allspice became a prominent component of baharat when it arrived to the region from Central America in the 16th century.[5]

Etymology

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Look up baharat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Bahārāt is the Arabic word for "spices" (the plural form of bahār, 'spice').[6] The word originates from the Persian word bahār.[7] The use of the term baharat likely started in the Ottoman Empire.[3]

Some historians believe that a possible etymological origin for the word baharat is the word bahar, one of the old names of India, which was the source for many of the spices imported into the Arab world.[5][3]

Ingredients

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Ingredients for a Gulf-style baharat

Composition depends on the region the spice mix is from.[8] Typical ingredients of baharat may include:[8][2]

The main ingredients are often cloves, black pepper, allspice, and cinnamon.[2]

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

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Turkish baharat karisimi includes mint in the largest proportion.[9][10][2] 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").[2][11] In the Gaza Strip, dill and hot pepper are uniquely popular components of baharat.[12] In Egypt, baharat is typically made from cinammon, allspice, and cloves.[13]

Besides regional variants, the ingredients are also tailored for different dishes.[14] Baharat mixes for sweets often use cinammon, anise, mahlab, cardamom, saffron, or mastic.[11][15]

Hwajeh (Arabic: حواجة) is a Jordanian spice and wild herb blend used in making foods like samneh and mansaf.[16][17][18]

Bzar

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Bzar or bizar (Arabic: بزار) refers to a spice mix popular in Emirati cuisine and Omani cuisine, it is made by grinding dry spices and mixing them, and often mixed with ghee and used in a wide array of dishes.[19][20][21]

Seven Spices

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In the Levant a spice mix called sabaa baharat (Arabic: سبع بهارات, lit. '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:[22]

Common variations may include allspice,[23] paprika, and cassia, among others.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Saladino, Emily (25 September 2024). "How to Cook With Baharat, the Spice Blend You'll Always Want On Hand". Epicurious. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e Di Stasi, Mauro; Kaboudari, Ata; Mancini, Simone; Vacchina, Veronique; De Leo, Marinella; Braca, Alessandra; Fratini, Filippo (1 July 2025). "Effect on food-related pathogens and chemical fingerprint of regional recipes of Baharat, a traditional Middle Eastern spice blend". Food Bioscience. 69 106994. doi:10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106994. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d Nasrallah, Nawal (2013). Delights from the Garden of Eden: A Cookbook and History of the Iraqi Cuisine. Equinox Pub. p. 545. ISBN 978-1-84553-457-8. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  4. ^ Al-Tujībī, Ibn Razīn (8 August 2023). The Exile's Cookbook: Medieval Gastronomic Treasures from al-Andalus and North Africa. Translated by Daniel Newman. Saqi Books. ISBN 978-0-86356-997-5. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  5. ^ a b Marks, Gil (17 November 2010). "Baharat". Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. HMH. ISBN 978-0-544-18631-6. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  6. ^ Wehr, Hand (1979). A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic (4th ed.). Harrassowitz. p. 96.
  7. ^ Lane, Edward William (1863). "بَهَارٌ" [bahārun]. بهر [bhr]. Arabic–English Lexicon. London: Williams & Norgate. p. 266. [...] I regard بهار as a Persian word. (TA.) Alternate link: بهر [bhr].
  8. ^ a b غفاری-ghafaridiet.com, دکتر. "سوالات آیین نامه رانندگی". رژیم درمانی دکتر غفاری (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  9. ^ Helou, Anissa (20 June 2013). Levant: Recipes and memories from the Middle East. HarperCollins UK. ISBN 978-0-00-744862-3. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  10. ^ "Turkish Herb and Spice Mix (Baharat Karisimi)". Saveur. 6 March 2007. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  11. ^ a b Helou, Anissa (4 October 2018). "Spices, Spice Mixtures & Spice Pastes". Feast: Food of the Islamic World. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5266-0556-6. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  12. ^ El-Haddad, Laila M.; Schmitt, Maggie (2016). The Gaza kitchen: a Palestinian culinary journey (Second ed.). Charlottesville, Virginia: Just World Books. p. 33. ISBN 978-1-68257-008-1. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  13. ^ Roden, Claudia (24 December 2008). The New Book of Middle Eastern Food. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-307-55856-5. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  14. ^ Clark, Melissa (22 February 2021). "For Maximum Flavor, Make These Spice Blends at Home (Published 2021)". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  15. ^ Tamimi, Sami (15 July 2025). Boustany: A Celebration of Vegetables from my Palestine [A Cookbook]. Random House. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-9848-6318-8. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  16. ^ ""المنسف".. طبق أردني وتراث عالمي" ["Mansaf"... a Jordanian dish and a global heritage]. Anadolu Agency (in Arabic). Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  17. ^ "Hwajet - Arca del Gusto". Slow Food Foundation. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  18. ^ "Samneh Baladieh Balqawieh - Arca del Gusto". Slow Food Foundation. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  19. ^ "«البزار».. خلطة البهارات بنكهة الأجداد" ["Al-Bazar"... a spice blend with an ancestral flavor]. Al-Bayan (newspaper) (in Arabic). 5 May 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  20. ^ Helou, Anissa (4 August 2011). "Breaking the Fast". Saveur. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  21. ^ Norman, Jill (1 May 2015). Herb and Spices The Cook's Reference: Over 200 Herbs and Spices, with Recipes for Marinades, Spice Rubs, Oils and more. Dorling Kindersley Limited. ISBN 978-0-241-23507-2. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  22. ^ "Kibbeh: The National Dish of Syria". Food Hopping: What the World Eats. Retrieved 2022-04-07.[dead link]
  23. ^ Jawad, Yumna (25 August 2025). "How to Make 7 Spice". Feel Good Foodie. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  24. ^ Kitous, Tony (7 Jul 2018). "'Feasts from the Middle East' cookbook: Recipes from za'atar-crusted halloumi to braised okra". Independent. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
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