Spices

When we first went shopping for the house, we were like fish out of water. There were tons of questions in our minds such as which oil, which flour. We answered some of them by trial and error and some by research. The subject of spices was very clear in my mind. Spices were bought from the Spice Bazaar. My mother prepared a small list of which spices I should buy. When I entered the Egyptian Bazaar with the list in my hand, that small shop selling only spices caught my attention instead of the shops for tourists or chain brands. Thanks to the research I did on the internet while preparing this article, I learned that this shop has been in business since 1951 and is one of the oldest in the bazaar. You will understand what I mean better when you go and see it. (Address: Mehmet Kalmaz Spice Shop No:41/1 Spice Bazaar, Eminönü) Adnan Kalmaz, the son of Mehmet Kalmaz, still runs this place. Mr. Adnan is actually a law graduate, but he did not continue his profession in order to carry the flag he inherited from his father and keep this place alive. I reached this information thanks to the video on Sihirli Tur's website.

When I told Mr. Adnan that I was a novice in this business, he helped me a lot about how many grams of which spices I should buy. On top of that, I received advice and blessings about my marriage. With the excitement of getting my spices, my mother's list went to the trash. But as time passed and the spice jars were scattered all over the house, I decided to create a separate list to check the finished spices. Creating a list is really a great convenience before going shopping. After all, in the hustle and bustle of Istanbul, one doesn't have the opportunity to go to the Spice Bazaar that often. And when you do, you don't want to miss anything.

I hope that this list will be useful for those who are still novices in the kitchen like me. I have also added a few more spices to the list and categorized them according to their usage. Of course, some spices can be used in more than one place under different categories.

Soups and Main Dishes

• Sea salt (powdered, coarse): Although it does not fall under the category of spices, I have added it to the list to remind you of the importance of natural salt. You can find more detailed information on the subject here.
• Black pepper powder: After tasting the flavor of ground black pepper, it has a very limited use in my kitchen.
• Ground black pepper
• Grain-colored peppers
• Chili pepper
• Red pepper powder
• Thyme
• Mint
• Basil
• Reyhan
• Zahter: Zahter is both a type of thyme and a spice mixture used for breakfast in Gaziantep and its surroundings. It is very difficult to find zahter used for breakfast in Istanbul. Unfortunately, the ones you find are not a substitute for the original.
• Rosemary
• Marjoram
• Meatball spring
• Allspice
• Ginger (powder, peel): I use the powder in cooking and the peel in herbal teas.
• Turmeric: I like to use it in soups, especially when used with ginger in pumpkin soup, it gives a pleasant flavor.
• Saffron: I use turmeric where I would use saffron because it is a very expensive product. I don't know how big the taste difference is, but the price difference is quite big.
• Curry
• Cumin
• Cumin flakes
• Bay leaf
• Muscat: Also called Indian nutmeg. I use it when making béchamel sauce. It gives a very nice aroma. It is enough to buy 2-3 pieces and it needs to be stored in the refrigerator. When using it, you can easily grate it with a small grater.

Salads and Breakfasts

• Sumac: I became addicted to sumac in salads after eating it at a friend's house. As a person who loves sour, I love the taste of sumac in green salads. Of course, it is also one of the indispensable building blocks of kebabs.
• Coriander seeds: As much as chili peppers go well with black olives, coriander seeds go well with green olives.
• Flaxseed: I use them in the muesli I prepare.

Pastries and Desserts

• Sesame seeds: I keep them in the refrigerator.
• Nigella: I keep them in the refrigerator.
• Bell pistachios: I keep them in the refrigerator.
• Poppy seeds: I keep them in the refrigerator.
• Currants: I keep them in the refrigerator.
• Powdered coconut: I keep it in the refrigerator.
• Pistachios (powdered, filet): I keep them in the refrigerator.
• Walnuts: I keep them in the refrigerator.
• Almonds (powdered, filet): I keep them in the refrigerator.
• Hazelnut (mesh): I keep them in the refrigerator.
• Star anise: I keep it in the refrigerator.
• Cinnamon powder
• Vanilla pod: I keep it in the refrigerator.
• Gum drops
• Vanilla extract: Unfortunately it is expensive, but you can make your own extract with a vanilla pod.
• Lavender
• Mahlep
• Lemon salt: Although it is used to make jams, pickles and olives, its main purpose in our house is to fight limescale.
• Matcha (green tea powder): I couldn't find it in the Spice Bazaar, but I guess I'll have to buy it online. I came across it in a few cookie recipes. Therefore, I don't want it to be missing at home.

Herbal Teas

• Fennel
• Linden
• Sage
• Carnation
• Cardamom
• Cinnamon Bark
• Licorice

Original Article: Susam ve Ben - Baharatlar (2011-08-13)

Translated By Deepl