Today we offer to plunge into the fragrant world of Turkish spices. Visiting any city in Turkey it would be difficult not to stop by a spice shop, offering a real kaleidoscope of Oriental condiments with outlandish names.
We decided to select nine of the most authentic spices widely used in Turkish cuisine and added a small dictionary in the end for the rest.
So, let’s go!
Çörek otu
Black cumin or devil-in-the-bush. Black cumin seeds have a distinct bitterish taste and odour and have been used as a spice in the cuisine of the Middle East and the Mediterranean since ancient times. In Turkey it is often used in unsweetened pastries or added to coffee to enrich its bouquet with spicy tones.
Sumac (Sumach)
This spice is made by grinding berries of the sumac tree (common smoke tree or vinegar tree). It has a reddish-maroon colour and a sour taste. It is widely used in Turkish dishes of fish and poultry or can be sprinkled on fresh vegetables salads.
Saffron (Crocus)
One of the most expensive spices of all times. Even when, following the discovery of the sea route to India, European markets were filled with hot pepper, saffron continued to be as expensive as the gold. In Turkish cuisine, saffron has long been used in production of sweets as well as to give dough and other dishes a beautiful yellow shade and an unusually subtle aroma.
The town of Safranbolu was given such a name because the best saffron, as it was considered at the court of the Ottoman sultans, was grown there. Because of these flowers, the monastery of Dayro d-Mor Hananyo, located in the south-east of the country 6 km from Mardin, is also popularly called Deyrulzafaran.
Isot biber (“Izzet” pepper)
It originates from Şanlıurfa Province, where it is made from a local variety of sun dried chilli pepper. It has a smoky, raisin-like taste, almost not bitter at all. There are red and black varieties of it. It is an integral component of the dish “Chig-kefte” (uncooked bulgur cutlets).
Antep Pul biber (Chilli pepper of Antep)
Red hot ground pepper. Extremely hot! It is made of a different variety of chilli pepper grown in the neighbouring Gaziantep province, popular all over Turkey. It is considered to be a universal spice used both during the cooking process and to spice up the completed dish.
Kimyon (Cumin or Zira)
One of the most popular Oriental spices, known from Turkey to China. It is valued for its strong bitterish and somewhat nutty scent, increasing when ground or fried. It is used in Turkish cuisine both in seeds and as a powder. Pilaf is not pilaf without Zira, they say!
Kekik (Thyme, Oregano or Maryoran)
Wild mountain thyme is called Çatır in Turkey and is valued higher than the cultivated variety. Due to the considerable amount of essential oils, it has long been popular as a seasoning, enriching both the aroma and taste of the dish.
Kuru Nane (Dried Mint)
It requires no introduction. It is an absolutely common condiment in Turkish cuisine for a wide variety of dishes, including, for example, bulgur pilaf with chickpeas.
Susam (Sesame)
On the one hand, it doesn’t seem to need any presentation, being popular far beyond Turkey. On the other hand, it occupies such an important place in the Turkish cuisine that it can’t simply be ignored. Sesame seeds are sprinkled over the Turkish bagel “simit” – the most popular local pastry. And no real Turkish breakfast is complete without tahini paste, which is made from sesame seeds.
Keledoş otu
This herb grows in the vicinity of Lake Van in Eastern Turkey. It is not grown deliberately, but is usually picked in the mountains and dried. It has a pleasant spicy aroma, slightly bitter to taste.
And other, more common spices and condiments:
- Tatlı Toz Biber – ground sweet red pepper.
- Acı Toz Biber – ground hot red pepper.
- Karabiber – black pepper with peas.
- Toz Karabiber – ground black pepper.
- Karanfil («каранфиль») – clove.
- Hardal – mustard.
- Zencefil – ginger.
- Tarçın – cinnamon.
- Zerdeçal – turmeric.
- Kakule – cardamon.
And what spices do you like?