Masala (spice)

Spice mixes are blended spices or herbs. When a certain combination of herbs or spices is called for in a recipe, it is convenient to blend these ingredients beforehand. Blends such as chili powder, curry powder, herbes de Provence, garlic salt, and other seasoned salts are traditionally sold pre-made by grocers, and sometimes baking blends such as pumpkin pie spice are also available. These spice mixes are also easily made by the home cook for later use.

Masala

Masala (from Hindi/Urdu masalah, based on Arabic masalih)^[1]^[2] is a term from the Indian subcontinent for a spice mix. A masala can be either a combination of dried (and usually dry-roasted) spices, or a paste (such as vindaloo masala) made from a mixture of spices and other ingredients—often garlic, ginger, onions, chilli paste and tomato. Masalas are used extensively in Indian cuisine to add spice and flavour,^[3] most familiarly to Western cuisine in chicken tikka masala and chicken curry, or in masala chai.^[4] Other South Asian cuisines including Bangladeshi, Nepali, Pakistani and Sri Lankan, Southeast Asian cuisine such as Burmese and the Caribbean regularly use spice mixes.^{[citation needed]}

Perfume Fixative Ingredients

The Arabic etymology was originally used for perfumery Ingredients only, the word Masalaha مصالحة means reconciliation. In the context of perfumery it's used to refer to fixatives. The Arabic words commonly used for spices are tawābil or bihārāt.

Notable spice mixes by region

Americas

Jerk, a spicy Jamaican dry-rub for meat primarily made with allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers
Montreal steak spice, a seasoning mix for steaks and grilled meats
Old Bay Seasoning, a seasoning mix of celery salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and paprika originally created in Baltimore^[5] and regionally popular in Maryland as well as Mid-Atlantic and Southern States, parts of New England, and the Gulf Coast^[6]
Pumpkin pie spice, a North American blend of cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice
Italian seasoning, a blend of rosemary, thyme, basil and oregano
Tajín, a Mexican blend of chili powder, salt, and dehydrated lime juice

East and Southeast Asian

Five-spice powder, a blend of cassia (Chinese cinnamon), star anise, cloves, and two other spices, usually fennel seeds and szechuan peppercorns.
Húng lìu, a Vietnamese blend
Shichimi, a mix of ground red chili pepper, Japanese pepper, roasted orange peel, black and white sesame seed, hemp seed, ground ginger and nori

European

Adobo, a mix of spices used in Spain and Latin America
Fines herbes, a French blend of parsley, chives, tarragon, and chervil for seasoning delicate dishes
Beau monde seasoning, salt, onion powder and celery powder - sometimes other ingredients
Garlic salt, a mixture of dried garlic and table salt
Herbes de Provence, a Provençal blend of thyme, marjoram, rosemary, basil, bay leaf, and sometimes lavender
Khmeli suneli, a blend used in Georgia and the Caucasus region
Lemon pepper, a blend of lemon zest, cracked black peppercorns, salt, and spices
Mixed spice or pudding spice, a British blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and other spices
Mulling spices, a European spice mixture of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and dried fruit
Quatre épices, a French blend of ground pepper, cloves, nutmeg and ginger
Seasoned salt, a blend of table salt, herbs, spices, other flavourings
Sharena sol, a Bulgarian mixture of summer savoury, paprika and salt, with other optional ingredients
Vadouvan, French version of an Indian masala

Middle East and Africa

Advieh, a spice mixture used in Iranian cuisine and Mesopotamian cuisine
Afrinj, an Ethiopian blend that is milder than berbere or mitmita^[7]
Baharat, used throughout the Middle East
Berbere, an Eritrean and Ethiopian blend
Hawaij, Yemenite ground spice mixtures used primarily for soups and coffee
Mitmita, an Ethiopian blend of African birdseye chili peppers, cardamom, cloves and salt
Ras el hanout, a Moroccan blend that includes cinnamon and cumin among other spices
Yaji, a Hausa spice mix for traditional suya and chichinga kebabs in sahelian West Africa. Made from cayenne, ginger, ground peanuts, dried onion, and chili
Za'atar, a Middle Eastern mix which is both an individual herb and a blend of that herb with sesame seeds and sometimes dried sumac

South Asian

Bafat, used in Mangalorean cuisine
Chaat masala, ground spices used for flavouring chaat
Garam masala, most commonly used spice blend in the Indian subcontinent
Kaala masala, black spice blend used in the Indian subcontinent
Panch phoron, a five-spice blend of whole fenugreek, nigella, fennel, cumin, and mustard or radhuni seeds originating from the Indian subcontinent
Tandoori masala, spice blend originating from the Indian subcontinent for tandoor-cooked meats
Thunapaha, a spice blend of coriander, cumin and fennel seed used in Sri Lankan traditional cuisine^[8]

References

^ "Masala". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
^ "Masala | Definition of masala in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
^ V.K. Modi; G.S. Sidde Gowda; P.Z. Sakhare; N.S. Mahendrakar & D. Narasimha Rao (2006). "Pre-processed spice mix formulation and changes in its quality during storage". LWT - Food Science and Technology. 39 (6): 613. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2005.05.004.
^ "Spices in Chicken Masala and Chicken Curry Kabsa". Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
^ Tomlinson, Mary (December 11, 2017). "What's Really in Old Bay Seasoning?". Coastal Living. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
^ Ingraham, Christopher (March 8, 2016). "They put Old Bay on everything in Maryland. Soon you will, too". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
^ Kloman, Harry (February 13, 2011). "Glossary". Ethiopian Food ♦ Mesob Across America. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Afrinj አፍርንጅ. A very mildly spiced condiment for kids or anyone who can't handle berbere or mitmita.
^ "Visiting Sri Lanka soon? Bookmark our guide to feast like a local in Colombo". Vogue India. December 11, 2019. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.

External links

Media related to Spice mixtures at Wikimedia Commons

[1] "Masala". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.

[2] "Masala | Definition of masala in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.

[3] V.K. Modi; G.S. Sidde Gowda; P.Z. Sakhare; N.S. Mahendrakar & D. Narasimha Rao (2006). "Pre-processed spice mix formulation and changes in its quality during storage". LWT - Food Science and Technology. 39 (6): 613. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2005.05.004.

[4] "Spices in Chicken Masala and Chicken Curry Kabsa". Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2017.

[5] Tomlinson, Mary (December 11, 2017). "What's Really in Old Bay Seasoning?". Coastal Living. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.

[6] Ingraham, Christopher (March 8, 2016). "They put Old Bay on everything in Maryland. Soon you will, too". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2020.

[Kloman-7] Kloman, Harry (February 13, 2011). "Glossary". Ethiopian Food ♦ Mesob Across America. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Afrinj አፍርንጅ. A very mildly spiced condiment for kids or anyone who can't handle berbere or mitmita.

[8] "Visiting Sri Lanka soon? Bookmark our guide to feast like a local in Colombo". Vogue India. December 11, 2019. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]