What is Mahlab?

Mahlab is a spice made of seeds of various acidic cherries known as the Mahlep or Mahleb tree. The spice has a distinctive taste that tastes somewhat like cherries and mildly as almonds, with a touch of sharp, sour taste and is very popular in pastries and recreational foods in the Middle East and neighboring regions such as Greece. This spice can be somewhat expensive and difficult to obtain outside the Middle East; Specialized markets sometimes carry Mahlab, either ground, whole, or in spices, especially during the holidays. Sometimes it is sometimes called Saint Lucie Cherry and in later summer it brings distinctive almost black and very sour cherries. The fruit of this tree is used in jams, canned products and desserts and can also be dried. For the extraction of Mahlabu, the pits are burst into revmal seeds inside. They are also extremely durable, so they are suitable as a base for grafting and produce very useful, beautifully grained wood. The slight bitter almond aroma of the tree in the flower also appears in Mahlab.

pastry that usually requires Mahlab and is also used in some cheeses and masks. Several traditional holiday breads, such as Armentian Choereg, Turkish Ka-Kat and Greek Tsoureki, call for Mahlab and are also used to produce Ramadan gifts in the Middle East. Cyprites use Mahlab in Flaounes, traditional cheese Easter cakes. Due to the growing interest in the Middle East kitchen around the world since the age of 70. These acidic cherry pit began to produce several companies to satisfy demand.

Ideally, you should buy Mahlab as a whole spice, because the whole seeds keep your taste much longer than ground spices. If you need a Mahlab for a recipe, you can grind the pit in the spices or with mortar and thickness. As with all spices, Mahlab should be stored in a cold dry place and you should try to use it for one year for the strongest taste.