Georgia
SEASONINGS
Georgian food tastes sour and savory first, then nutty and herbal, with warmth. Flavors are built around contrast between richness and acidity. Sourness is very important; it is created with sour plums, pomegranate juice, grape verjuice, and small amounts of vinegar. Fruit acidity sharpens meats and walnut sauces and often replaces the role that citrus or dairy plays in other cuisines.
Walnuts are a structural element, ground into sauces satsivi and bazhe, used to thicken stews, and mixed into fillings. Walnuts add fat, bitterness, and body without cream or butter.
Fresh herbs define much of the aroma. Fresh cilantro is the most important, used both as leaves and seeds. Dill, parsley, summer savory and especially fresh tarragon are used generously. Many dishes combine dried and fresh herbs in a single dish. Garlic is used confidently but in balance, rarely sharp.
Georgians use coriander seed, fenugreek, marigold petals, and black pepper a lot. Chili exists, but does not define the cuisine. Blue fenugreek is much more prominent than in neighbouring cuisines. It belongs to the same family as the fenugreek, but has a milder, sweeter flavour reminiscent of autumn leaves. Also, the marigold flower is quite distinctive, called the Imeretian Saffron. Georgians use the dried and ground petals to give an earthy flavour and bright yellow colour to walnut dishes and sauces.
Many spices are dried and ground together rather than added separately, thus there are unique Geogrian mixes:
KHMELI SUNELI – a distinct blend, which combines coriander, fenugreek, blue fenugreek, marigold, bay leaf, summer savory, celery seed, dried basil, dill, parsley, and mint. There is no fixed recipe for khmeli suneli, like Indian masala.
SVANETIAN SALT is a popular mix; the recipe originates in Svaneti, but nowadays it can be bought virtually everywhere and is a practical souvenir. Salt contains a mixture of sea salt, dried garlic, fenugreek, coriander, cumin, chili pepper, dill, and several other herbs.
AJIKA – a spicy and subtly flavored condiment made with hot peppers, garlic, coriander, tomato, fenugreek, marigold, and salt. It is a part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia. It comes in red and green varieties, with red being the hotter option. Red ajika exists in two variants – dry and wet. Dry is a seasoning mix used on raw meat, while the wet one has the consistency of a thicker mustard and is used to highlight the already roasted meat.
TKEMALI – Georgian sauce made of cherry and red-leaf plums. The flavour of this sauce varies, but it’s generally pungently tart. Alongside plums, garlic, cumin, coriander, dill, chili pepper, pennyrile and salt are used. Tkemali is used for fried or grilled meat, poultry and potato dishes, and has a place in Georgian cuisine similar to the one ketchup has in the United States.
BAZHE – rich and creamy sauce of ground walnuts, coriander, fenugreek, blue fenugreek, marigold petals and sometimes onions and garlic. The unique texture comes from the way the walnuts are processed and emulsified with water or other liquids. A touch of vinegar or pomegranate juice is often added to balance brightness. It can be served as a dip for vegetables or bread or poured over grilled meats or fish.
SATSIVI – is a thicker, more luxurious sauce compared to bazhe. It’s made with ground walnuts, coriander, fenugreek, blue fenugreek, sometimes cinnamon or cloves. Satsivi can be served hot or cold and is a classic accompaniment to poultry dishes, especially chicken or turkey.
Syrian Arab Republic
SEASONINGS
Syrian food is fragrant, colorful, spiced, and moderately heated. Mint, parsley, and cilantro are used extensively, and thyme, in dried form, features a popular za’atar mix. Spices are used even more generously than herbs – cumin, sumac, coriander, paprika, allspice, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, mahlab, and mastic are staples. Fragrance comes from rose petals, orange blossoms, and saffron.
Syrians like their food tart, so they heavily use citrus, sumac, and fruit molasses – a thick, concentrated syrup, particularly from pomegranates.
One of the star spices in Syrian kitchens is Aleppo pepper – sun-dried, coarsely ground, and packed with character. Its popularity stretches well beyond Syria, finding a place in Turkey, Lebanon, and across the Mediterranean and Middle East. Peppers themselves came a long way before becoming a Syrian staple. Native to the Americas, they traveled through Spain and North Africa, eventually arriving in the Ottoman territories. Along the way, new varieties emerged, and one of the most celebrated was the Halaby pepper – Aleppo. As a major hub of the trade, Aleppo was popular. Today, though, the original Aleppo pepper has become harder to source due to the ongoing conflict in Syria, and much of what’s available now is grown in neighboring Turkey.
What makes it special is its balance: a deep, smoky flavor with natural saltiness and earthiness, plus a gentle kick of heat – milder than cayenne but hotter than jalapeño. Instead of blasting you with spice, it layers in complexity and depth. Toward the end of the pepper season, farmers and home cooks in Aleppo turn their surplus into a rich red paste known as debs flefleh, or ‘pepper molasses.’
In Syrian cooking, a few spice mixes show up everywhere—like za’atar, baharat, and the Aleppo seven-spice blend.
ZA’ATAR spice mix – thyme, sumac, toasted sesame seeds, and salt.
BAHARAT / 7 SPICE MIX, a complex Arabic spice blend that can include black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and sometimes paprika.
ALEPPO SEVEN-SPICE local Syrian variation, whose constituents may vary but usually consist of allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves, all ground into fine powder.
SAUCES
MUHAMMARA – roasted red peppers, walnuts, Aleppo pepper, garlic, olive oil, breadcrumbs, and pomegranate molasses.
TARATOR – sauce made from tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and water. It’s used as a dip or a sauce for falafel or fish.
SHATTAH – A hot sauce made from red chili peppers, garlic, and salt. It’s similar to North African harissa but with its own Syrian character.
TOUM – A strong garlic sauce made by emulsifying garlic with oil, lemon juice, and salt.
