Baharat

File:Gulfbaharat.gif

A small jar of homemade Gulf-style baharat

Bahārāt (Arabic: بهارات) is a spice mixture or blend used throughout the Levant, in Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian, Iraqi, and Palestinian cuisine. Baharat, in Arabic, means "spices". The name originated in Medieval India, as Bhārat (Hindi: भारत), a Sanskrit name for India, was the source of these spices. The mixture of finely ground spices is often used to season lamb, fish, chicken, beef, and soups. Additionally, it may be used as a condiment, to add more flavor after a meal has been prepared.

Ingredients

Ingredients for a Gulf-style baharat

Typical ingredients of baharat may include:

• Allspice
• Black peppercorns
• Cardamom seeds
• Cassia bark
• Cloves
• Coriander seeds
• Cumin seeds
• Nutmeg
• Dried red chili peppers or paprika

Other variants

Turkish baharat includes mint as a key ingredient. In Tunisia, bharat refers to a simple mixture of dried rosebuds and ground cinnamon, often combined with black pepper. In the Gulf States, loomi (dried black lime) and saffron may also be used for the kebsa spice mixture (also called "Gulf baharat"). In Spanish it is also known as "Pimienta de Jamaica" which means Jamaican Pepper.

A popular recipe for baharat is a mixture of the following finely ground ingredients:

• 4 parts black pepper
• 3 parts coriander seeds
• 3 parts cinnamon
• 3 parts cloves
• 4 parts cumin seeds
• 1 part cardamom pods
• 3 parts nutmeg
• 6 parts paprika

Dried and pulverised kaffir lime leaves can also be added to taste.

The mixture can be rubbed into meat or mixed with olive oil and lime juice to form a marinade.

See also

• Ras el hanout
• Advieh
• Arab cuisine
• Cuisine of Syria