If you are developing foods with a Middle Eastern flavour, then you need to seriously consider the spice, Mahlab. Of all of those spices which we have assessed for tagines and pilaf rices such as Ras Al Hanout and Baharat, its mahlab which offers interesting flavour opportunities.
Mahlab is the ground powder of a wild and very sour cherry. It is also known as mahalab, mahlep, mahaleb. It’s often added to biscuits and cookies, and surprisingly bread. We’ve come across biscuits from The Lebanon and Syria which actively promote this spice as is the main flavouring.
To prepare mahlab is simple enough – simply grind the broken cherry kernels if you can obtain them. use straight away as the essential oils which make up the flavour soon dissipate. The powder is probably easiest to purchase but needs to be stored in a very airtight container. It has a slight almond flavour with a cherry aftertaste which hints at some of the cyanogens which are generated.
If you are substituting mahlab in cooking, just replace with Chinese almonds which are powdered dried apricot kernels (think Sorrento), ground fennel and cardamom to give the whole flavour experience.
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