Oftentimes, the best way to Find a fresh cuisine is by it is spice rack. No other ingredient can help us taste the characteristic Flavors of a cuisine quite as easily, instantly tipping us off to the differences between a mild Italian dish and a spice-packed Indian one. But spices also tell the story of our planet –the history of how we are all connected. As people have brought their tastes with them, they have been shared and reinterpreted giving us the many, vastly different international, national, and regional cuisines we all love to explore.

Today’s journey takes us into the Middle East, where we will get acquainted with various spices and spice blends like Baharat and za’atar, sumac and Urfabibber. Even if you don`t recognize them by name, do not be intimidated! As soon as you get to know them, we guarantee they will enrich your daily cooking. So, let us get introduced to a number of the vital middle east spices, learn how to make homemade spice mixes, and see what beautiful dishes you can cook together.Middle Eastern cuisine is all about Vegetables, meats such as chicken, beef, and lamb, in addition to flatbreads, pita breads, coffee, and tea. However, the celebrity in several dishes are spices like sumac that, until rather recently, are comparatively little-known in other areas of the world.The deep red spice has a sour, fruity, and sour flavor and is therefore often used as a substitute to citrus fruit juice or juice. It is harvested from Sicilian sumac also referred to as tanner’s sumac or elm-leaved sumac, a plant which grows small round stone fruits which turn violet-red once fully ripe. At this time, they are dried and crushed into sumac.

Sumac is used as a desk spice which may be sprinkled on pretty much every dish you can think of to get a tang of vibrancy. It refines poultry, vegetable, and fish stews, rice dishes, dips, and salads like Fattoush.Fattoush Middle Eastern bread salad The Lebanese bread salad, Fattoush, is a classic starter or mezze. Fresh vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers are paired with mint and parsley and find a wonderful crunch from crouton-like fried flatbread or pita bread. A timeless Fattoush dressing includes ingredients like garlic, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and our new, yet incredibly dear friend, sumac. It really makes all the difference when it comes to improving the dressing table with an intense, unique flavor. We like to sprinkle some more of it on top before serving!