Middle Eastern Spices

Stick your nose into a sack of cloves and you will understand why ancient mariners claimed to smell the approach of the clove islands while still far out to sea. A terrific and much-used pungent addition to Christmas ham and baked goods, stewed and pickled fruit and vegetables, cakes, pastries and biscuits, German Glühwein (also known as mulled wine), and many North African spice blends. Also known as: Nelke, ting-hiang.

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, scrolls and French toast; curries and stews; rice dishes; stewed and preserved fruits; red meats; and drinks. This ground cardamom is milled from mature pods into a fine powder, offering a more concentrated flavour than the whole pod and ready to use straight from the jar.

One of the most popular and widely used herbs in the world today, parsley (also known as 'curled parsley') has a distinctive herbaceous, slightly bitter aroma and taste that works as a contrast to highlight other flavours. Dried parsley holds up well in cooked dishes like stocks and sauces, though fresh is still best for garnishing and finishing.

Rose petal powder is used extensively in Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly Persian and Turkish flavours. Used for its floral aroma, symbolism and decorativeness, rose petal powder was made popular in Australia by chef Yotam Ottolenghi with his beautiful rose harissa.

Use these nutty, crunchy and striking coloured seeds to lift Asian dishes and modern desserts. Coat meat or fish in sesame seeds before cooking for flavour, colour and crunch. Popping up in desserts like tuiles and macarons, ice creams and eclairs, cakes, panna cottas and doughnuts, black sesame is the new poppy seed!

The famous phrase 'open sesame' derives from the popping sound akin to a lock spring opening that a ripened sesame pod makes as it bursts open. These hulled seeds are immensely popular in cooking all over the world and form the base for kitchen staples like tahini, hommus and sesame oil. In Mexican cooking, it is used in sauces for mole or adobo. Sesame is also widely used to decorate artisanal breads.