// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did mahleb say to its date? Cherry-o, I'm a pit-iful match.
.jpg) Whole stones; the seeds are inside | |
| Alternative names | Mahlepi |
|---|---|
| Type | Spice |
| Region or state | Middle East |
| Main ingredients | Cherry seeds |
Mahleb or mahlepi is an aromatic spice made from the seeds of a species of cherry, Prunus mahaleb (the Mahaleb or St Lucie cherry). The cherry stones are cracked to extract the seed kernel, which is about 5 mm in diameter, and soft and chewy on extraction. The seed kernel is ground to a powder before use. Its flavour is similar to a combination of bitter almond and cherry,[1] and also similar to marzipan.[2]
Mahleb is used in small quantities to sharpen sweet foods and cakes,[2] and is used in production of tresse cheese.
It has been used for centuries in the Middle East and the surrounding areas as a flavoring for baked goods. Recipes calling for the fruit or seed of the "ḫalub" date back to ancient Sumer.[3] In recent decades, it has been slowly entering mainstream cookbooks in English.[4]
In Greek cuisine, mahlep is sometimes added to holiday breads and cakes such as Christopsomo (gr: χριστόψωμο) for Christmas, vasilopita for New Year's Day, and the braided tsoureki for Easter (called cheoreg in Armenian and paskalya çöreği in Turkish).[5]
In Turkey, it is used in poğaça scones and other pastries. In the Arabic Middle East, it is used in ma'amoul scones. In Egypt, powdered mahlab is made into a paste with honey, sesame seeds and nuts, eaten as a dessert or a snack with bread.
In English, mahleb is sometimes alternately spelled as mahalab, mahlep, mahaleb, and other variations.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Levitt, Barbara, ed. (November 2008), Edible: An Illustrated Guide to the World's Food Plants, National Geographic Society, p. 294, ISBN 978-1-4262-0372-5, Preview, p. 294, at Google Books
- 1 2 Reuter, Christoph (2016-01-13). "Mini-Republics: A Syrian Village Seeks to Survive amid Carnage". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
- ↑ Gadotti, A. (2014). Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld and the Sumerian Gilgamesh Cycle. De Gruyter. ISBN 161451545X.
- ↑ MacMillan, Norma, ed. (October 2010), The Illustrated Cook's Book of Ingredients (1st American ed.), Dorling Kindersley, p. 354, ISBN 978-0-7566-6730-6
- ↑ The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets. Oxford University Press. 2015-04-01. ISBN 978-0-19-931362-4.
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