Baharat

Baharat

What it is

The word is simply the plural of bahar, pepper: the blend is called spices, and no two households mean quite the same thing by it. In the Gulf it takes dried lime and sometimes saffron, in Turkey it takes mint; what never moves is the spine of black pepper, allspice and cinnamon, and the absence of any turmeric or chilli.

In the kitchen

Work it into the meat with oil an hour before it goes near the fire — applied dry it scorches on the outside before the inside sees any of it. Two teaspoons per 500 g of lamb or beef is the working rate, and whatever stays in the jar is stale by three months.

Goes with

Lamb Allspice Cinnamon Black pepper Tomato Onion Rice Olive oil

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