Souvenirs From Turkey: Eight Must-buy Spices From Istanbul’s Famous Spice Market

There are several reasons why traditional Turkish dishes are globally appreciated. Attention to detail—like the unique cooking techniques, combinations of ingredients and indispensable sauces—make Turkish recipes scrumptious.

There are several reasons why traditional Turkish dishes are globally appreciated. Attention to detaillike the unique cooking techniques, combinations of ingredients and indispensable saucesmake Turkish recipes scrumptious.

The secret ingredients that add unique flavour and aroma to Turkish cuisine are their local spices and herbs. If you are bored of using the same old spices from your kitchen pantry and want to add a dash of exotic Turkish flavours to your dishes, we have an interesting list for you. If you are visiting Turkey for a holiday, don't forget to bring home these souvenir spices from the famous spice market in Istanbul.

Pul Biber or Red Pepper Flakes

This popular Turkish spice, pul biber—adds a tantalising aroma and a mildly bitter flavour. This spice is derived after sun-drying hot and sweet peppers and crushing them up. Pul biber is used in a variety of recipes—from juicy hotpot recipes to soups and stir-fries. Apart from elevating the flavour of your food, pul biber is a natural painkiller, is rich in vitamin C, and can improve the immune system.

Sumac

This spice has a reddish-purple colour—extracted from dried, ground berries—plucked from sumac plants. This ingredient is frequently used in local cuisine to add a citrusy and tangy flavour. In Turkey, sumac is used in Turkish flatbread (pide) and Turkish pizza (lahmacun).

Sumac is sprinkled from the top to season these breads and boost their flavour. It is also used in traditional Turkish salads like “Coban Salatasi” or “Shepherd’s Salad,” to add an acidic and savoury note.

Çörek Otu or Black Cumin Seeds

Another souvenir spice you must bring home from Turkey—çörek otu—aka black cumin or nigella. This revered Turkish spice offers a unique spicy, earthy, nutty and peppery taste. The traditional Turkish sweet dish “simit,”— a round-shaped bread— is covered in çörek otu. This spice adds a distinct flavour and a nutty aroma, boosting its overall flavour.

Mahlab

Mahlab is a wild, small cherry pit extracted from the St. Lucy cherry. The pit of the cherries are finely ground to make this spice. Mahlab offers a nutty, sweet, and mild cherry-like flavour. In Turkey, it is commonly used in baking—particularly in pastries and sweet bread. This ingredient imparts a mild almond-like aroma and is highly prized.

Urfa Biber

Urfa Biber aka Isot pepper—a variety of chilli pepper—native to the Turkish Urfa region. This local pepper variety has a purplish-black or dark red colour and an earthy, smoky flavour that offers moderate heat to recipes. The Urfa peppers are dried in the sun and left to sweat overnight—the drying process offers a unique flavour profile and imparts a raisin-like sweetness.

Kekik or Dried Organo

Kekik or dried oregano—is a sought-after Mediterranean herb which adds a distinctive earthy and subtly minty flavour. Kekik is commonly added to Turkish traditional salads, soups, and other popular recipes.

Paprika

Paprika is a vibrant red spice derived from sun-dried and powdered sweet peppers. It offers mild sweetness to local cuisines and adds an indispensable earthy taste and a bright red natural pigment. Paprika is used in Turkish recipes like stews, pilafs—and potatoes or rice are garnished with it.

Baharat Spice Mix

Baharat is a blend of many spices—used in Middle Eastern and Turkish cuisines. This flavourful combination of fragrant spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, cumin, and coriander adds a wonderful flavour to recipes.

The precise composition of this spice may slightly vary based on region-specific preferences. Baharat is a versatile mix of spices that adds warmth, a balanced complexity and depth to many dishes, from stews to vegetable preparations and rice.

If you are visiting Istanbul’s space market for the first time, expect to feel overwhelmed and delighted by the sights, aromas and tastes of a wide variety of spices. We advise you to accustom yourself to the available options and their uses before heading to the spice bazaar.

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