Mahleb or Mahlepi is an aromatic

spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spice ...

made from the seeds of a species of cherry, ''

Prunus mahaleb ''Prunus mahaleb'', the mahaleb cherry or St Lucie cherry, is a species of cherry tree. The tree is cultivated for a spice obtained from the seeds inside the cherry stones. The seeds have a fragrant smell and have a taste comparable to bitter alm ...

'' (the Mahaleb or St Lucie cherry). The cherry

stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

s are cracked to extract the seed kernel, which is about 5 mm diameter, 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 The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus ...

and cherry, and similar also to marzipan. Mahleb is used in small quantities to sharpen sweet foods and cakes, and is used in production of

tresse cheese Tresse cheese, also known as ''jibneh mshallaleh'' (Arabic: جبنة مشللة) is a form of string cheese originating in Syria. It can be eaten plain, or mixed with pastries.Roufs, Timothy. Sweet Treats around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food an ...

. It has been used for centuries in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...

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. In recent decades, it has been slowly entering mainstream cookbooks in English. In

Greek cuisine Greek cuisine ( Greek: Ελληνική Κουζίνα) is the cuisine of Greece and the Greek diaspora. In common with many other cuisines of the Mediterranean, it is founded on the triad of wheat, olive oil, and wine. It uses vegetables, ol ...

, ''mahlep'' is sometimes added to different types of holiday ''

tsoureki Tsoureki ( el, τσουρέκι) also known as ''Šurēk'' (, Arabic), ''choreg'' or "chorek" ( Armenian չորեկ, կաթնահունց), ''çörək'' (Azerbaijani), ''çyrek'' ( Albanian), ''kozunak'' ( Bulgarian козунак), ''cozonac'' (R ...

'' breads, including Christmas bread, the New Year's '' vasilopita'' and the braided

Easter bread In many European countries, there are various traditions surrounding the use of bread during the Easter holidays. Traditionally the practice of eating Easter bread or sweetened "communion" bread traces its origin back to Byzantium and the Orthodox ...

called ''cheoreg'' in

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

and ''paskalya çöreği '' in Turkish. In

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

, it is used in '' poğaça'' scones and other pastries. In the Arabic Middle East, it is used in ''

ma'amoul Maamoul ( ar, معمول ) is a filled butter cookie made with semolina flour. The filling can be made with dried fruits like figs or dates or nuts such as pistachios or walnuts and occasionally almonds. Maamoul are usually made during the ...

'' scones. In

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

, 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, etc.

References

{{Herbs & spices Spices Cherry dishes Cypriot cuisine Greek cuisine Middle Eastern cuisine Iranian cuisine Arabic words and phrases Turkish cuisine

See also

References