Middle Eastern Spices

Ras El Hanout is one of the world’s most complex spice mixtures, and often contains dozens of ingredients. It is a traditional Moroccan blend, meaning 'head of the shop', and represents the very best a spice merchant has to offer. The recipe shifts from souk to souk, but our blend contains 29 spices including paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, cassia and turmeric. Earthy, floral and fragrant, this harmonious signature blend flavours rice, tagines, couscous, game and lamb beautifully.

Flavour Notes: Earthy, complex, floral, fragrant

Cuisine: Moroccan

Heat Level: 0/5

Add a unique smoky flavour and crunch to your favourite dish. Inspired by traditional Middle Eastern dukkah, this Smoky Almond Dukkah features South Australian-grown almonds, red gum-smoked South Australian sea salt and Tasmanian pepperberry. Use as a crust for fish, chicken or lamb, or to add another dimension to everyday dips and salads.

Flavour Notes: Smoky, nutty, savoury

Cuisine: Australian

Heat Level: 0/5

Capturing the cultural crossroads of Morocco, Moroccan Souk Spice is a robust expression of its Berber, Moorish, Mediterranean and Arabian influences. With a mild heat and spicy flavour, this blend is well suited to a range of cooking methods and ingredients, including roast vegetables, grilled chicken and steak, tagines, salad dressings and sauces.

Flavour Notes: Vibrant, zesty, warmly spiced, gentle heat

Cuisine: Moroccan

Heat Level: 2/5

Za'atar is a zesty, floral, aromatic Middle Eastern blend with an unmistakable nutty textural crunch. Traditionally eaten by dipping unleavened bread first in olive oil and then in the spice itself, or baked onto flatbread as a paste.

Flavour Notes: Zesty, herbaceous, nutty

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Heat Level: 0/5

Love our Everything Bagel Blend? Then this saltier Middle Eastern version is for you. Its smoky, zingy and deep flavours sit in unique combination to make a blend so moreish, you’ll add it to almost everything! Smoked paprika, poppy seed and black lime come together to make this Ottolenghi-style spice mix, perfect for traditional Middle Eastern cooking and mezze-style plates - sprinkled on dips, flatbreads and vegetables. Equally delicious in everyday cooking or at the table, on fish, meat and veggies. Seriously addictive!

Flavour Notes: Smoky, salty, earthy

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Heat Level: 1/5

All ingredients in our Egyptian Dukkah are individually roasted and ground to optimise the blend's flavours. Versatile, crunchy and fragrant, it is delicious used as a dip with crusty bread and oil; to coat chicken, veal or fish before frying or baking; and to scatter over salads, noodles and vegetables. The Arabic word ‘dukkah’ or ‘duqqa’, means ‘to pound’, reflecting the process of making this universally loved blend.

Flavour Notes: Nutty, warmly spiced, crunchy

Cuisine: Egyptian

Heat Level: 0/5

Hot, hot, hot! But oh, so delicious. Harissa is consumed in its native Tunisia as an accompaniment to couscous, grilled meats and slow-cooked stews. It is a versatile chilli blend that can be used in many ways. This spicy seasoning can be stirred into soups and stews, used as a dry rub, mixed with plain yoghurt to marinate chicken or as a dip, or combined with diced tomatoes to spoon onto kebabs and wraps.

Flavour Notes: Punchy, fiery, smoky, fragrant

Cuisine: Tunisian

Heat Level: 4/5

A key feature of Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking, Berbere gives wats (stews) of meat, vegetables or lentils their signature flavour.

This classic East African blend is a fruity, fiery, powerhouse blend with strong flavours of chilli, cardamom and fenugreek. It is used in staples like doro wat (chicken stew) and misir wat (red lentil stew), and is typically eaten with injera, a fermented flatbread. Berbere's richness also complements red meat and oily fish.

Flavour Notes: Fiery heat, earthy, fruity

Cuisine: African

Heat Level: 4/5

When you open a jar of Cardamom Pistachio Sugar, you smell the spice kitchens of India: warm, lingering aromas of bittersweet cardamom dressed in golden brown sugar and roasted pistachio nuts. Caramelise it on a crème brûlée, sprinkle over zabaglione or Greek yoghurt, or make an Indian praline.

This blend is fundamental in all countries that border the Eastern Mediterranean, from Egypt to Lebanon and as far south as Ethiopia. The direct translation simply means spice, however, this spice is more mysterious and complex than the translation suggests. Complements lamb dishes of all kinds: shanks, roasts, or cutlets are greatly enhanced by Saudi Baharat. Season to taste.

Flavour Notes: Fragrant, warmly spiced, earthy, rich

Cuisine: Saudi Arabian

Heat Level: 0/5

Chermoula has been an integral part of the Moroccan kitchen since it was discovered in Northern Africa in the 7th century. This blend gives a spicy, true North African flavour. Traditionally used to flavour fish, it is particularly suited to tuna, swordfish, salmon or monkfish, served with crushed black pepper, salt and fresh lemon. It is also delicious as a flavouring for lamb or poultry, especially when grilled, barbecued or roasted.

Flavour Notes: Herbaceous, mild heat, savoury, zingy

Cuisine: African

Heat Level: 2/5

Not to be confused with mixed spice, allspice is so named for its exquisitely combinative tones of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. Allspice is an ingredient in mixed spice as well as sweet baked goods; pickles, relishes and preserves; gravies and marinades; and winter drinks. The deep, fruity warmth of these earth-coloured berries complements red meats, seafood and root vegetables. Native to the West Indies and Central America, allspice, also known as pimento, is a key ingredient in Caribbean recipes such as Jamaican jerk seasoning. Also known as: Pimento, Jamaica pepper, Myrtle pepper.

This warm, sweet, liquorice-tasting aromatic is native to the Middle East and was used by the ancient Romans to aid with digestion. Not to be confused with star anise (native to China), aniseed is often found in cakes and pastries, and is a great addition to curry powders. It is used to flavour alcoholic drinks such as Jägermeister and Sambuca. Also known as: Anise seed.

Sumac comes from the outer flesh of a berry that is harvested when crimson, from trees grown wild in the Mediterranean region. It is often found in southern Italy and much of the Middle East, and commonly used in Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine. When used in cooking, sumac adds a tangy, lemony taste to salads, rice dishes and kebab meats.

Similar in taste and look to dried cranberries, barberries are tarter and less sweet. The berries are used widely in Middle Eastern cooking, and traditionally also made into juice and fruit rolls.

The signature spice of the famous chai tea, cardamom is sweet and aromatic with camphoric tones. This bright, complex flavour brings sophistication to cakes, biscuits, puddings and scrolls; curries and stews; rice dishes; stewed and preserved fruits; red meats; and milky beverages. These are the loose seeds removed from the pod, ready to add whole for a slow infusion or crush fresh for a more concentrated flavour.