The Science of Spice

28 World of Spice

Flanked by the Red Sea and the Mediterranean,

Egypt’s ports became the gateway to the riches

of the East long before its mercantile heyday

in the Middle Ages. Despite its spice-rich history,

the modern Egyptian palette is simpler than that

of other Levantine countries. Indigenous cumin

is the prevailing flavour – its rich, nutty notes

enliven the relatively humble ingredients of

Egypt’s vegetable soups, meat stews, and grain

dishes such as koshari. Cumin, along with hazelnuts,

sesame seeds, and coriander, is also a key flavouring

in dukkah, a distinctively Egyptian condiment

that varies in content from house to house.

LOCAL SPICE BLEND

Dukkah

An everyday blend of spices

and nuts that is often served

with olive oil and bread or

used to season roasted meats

or hummus.

150g (5^1 ⁄ 2 oz) hazelnuts

150g (5^1 ⁄ 2 oz) whole almonds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

3 tbsp sesame seeds

pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/

Gas 6). Spread the nuts on separate

baking sheets. Roast the almonds for

8 minutes and the hazelnuts for 10

minutes, shaking the trays every 3

minutes. Dry-fry the seeds over a

high heat for 3 minutes, tossing

constantly. Grind together the cooled

nuts, seeds, and salt.

Signature

Cumin, cinnamon

The go-to spice for savoury

dishes is cumin, while

cinnamon is used just as

liberally to add depth to

Egypt’s array of sweet dishes.

Supporting

Garlic, black pepper,

chilli, coriander

Tomato sauces are perked

up with a fresh palette of

garlic, black pepper, and

chilli flakes, while coriander

provides a mellow, citrusy

partner to cumin.

Supplementary

Ginger, cloves, bay,

cardamom, allspice

You will often find an

additional spice or two

to partner the main flavour,

but Egyptians keep their

spicing relatively simple,

or reach for the baharat.

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EGYPT

Fresh | Earthy | Nutty

SPICE

PALETTE

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