Spices, Herbs, and Condiments

Here's a list of some individual and blends of spices and herbs that are common in Jewish Cuisines. Ashkenazi cuisine uses only a handful of these spices, while others use many more in fragrant and flavorful blends. Some of the blends vary by country.

Also listed are some of the more common condiments found in Jewish Cuisines. Usually these are the same across the cuisines with only slight differences in name, ingredients, and texture.

Individual
Caperberries
Caraway
Cardamom
Cilantro
Coriander
Cumin
Cinnamon
Dill
Fenugreek
Garlic
Ginger
Hyssop
Nigella
Lavender
Mustard Seed
Paprika
Parsley
Pepper
Poppy Seed
Rose Water
Salt
Saffron
Sesame Seed
Sumac
Turmeric

Blends
Advieh (Mideast) (Literally Persian for spices, it's usually followed by a second word indicating its use and blend, i.e., soup, stew, rice)

Agristada (Sephardic) (eggs, water, olive oil, salt, lemon, parsley)

Baharat (Mideast) (Literally Arabic for spices, its basic spices are black pepper, coriander, paprika, cardamom, nutmeg, cumin, cloves, and cinnamon. Usually countries add a few more ingredients depending how it is used)

Berbere (Ethiopia) (nutmeg, black pepper, coriander seed, cumin seed, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and paprika, and chili)

Jerusalem Spice Blend (Israeli Style) (a general purpose blend of

Coriander, Cumin, Allspice, Salt, Sweet Paprika, and Garlic) (other regional blends include turmeric, pepper, sumac, and cinnamon)

Khmeli Suneli (Georgian) (fenugreek, coriander, savory, and black peppercorns)

Ottoman Spice Mix (Turkey) mix contains  sumac, thyme, garlic, turmeric, dar-fülfül (Cayenne-like pepper), paprika, and saffron.

Philadelphia Mix (Israel) claimed to be one of the earliest spice blends named after the Ottoman Territory, not the US City. It's a versatile all around spice containing cloves, chili powder, dried basil, dried thyme, dried bay leaf, and nutmeg. Best used on meat or chicken.

Quatre Epices (Egypt) (Literally French for “four spices, includes ground pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger)

Ras el Hanout (North Africa) (Literally Arabic for "head of the shop", usually a blend of the best spices that varies by country)

Tabil (Tunisia) (garlic, caraway seeds, hot red pepper flakes and coriander)

Za’atar (Israel) (oregano, thyme, Hyssop, marjoram, sumac, sesame seeds, salt and cumin)

Condiments and Sauces

Amba (Israel by way of India) (mango, salt, pepper, grape seed oil, mustard seed, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, hot paprika, turmeric, garlic)

Hilbe (Yemen) (fenugreek, lemon, water, z'hug)

Horseradish (aka Chrain) (Ashkenazi) (fresh ground horseradish root; add white vinegar and salt to preserve; add sour cream to preserved horseradish to make a sauce; add beet juice to preserved to make a , sweeter condiment)

Hummus (Mideast, Greece) (chickpeas, baking soda, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, olive oil, parsley)

Mustard, Hot (Egyptian/Roman) (ground brown mustard seed, vinegar, turmeric)

Tahini (Lebanon) (toasted sesame seeds, garlic, lemon, pepper, and olive oil)

Toum (Middle East) Aioli-like condiment made of olive oil, lemon, salt, and lots of garlic. No egg.



Z'hug, Green (Yemen) ( green hot peppers, parsley, coriander, garlic, salt, cumin, caraway, cardamom, black pepper, and olive oil)