Peru
SEASONINGS
Peruvian seasoning and spice combinations are quite distinctive, with several key elements that make them unique:
AJÍ PEPPERS are the most defining element – particularly ají amarillo — yellow pepper, ají panca — dark red, smoky pepper, ají rocoto — spicy red pepper, and ají limo — very hot pepper. These give Peruvian food its characteristic heat and depth that’s different from other Latin American cuisines. While some dishes can be spicy, Peruvian food generally has a balance of flavors, including sweet, sour, salty, and spicy.
Unique herb varieties from coasts, mountains, jungles:
HUACATAY – black mint, an Andean herb that’s neither quite like mint nor basil, but has its own complex, slightly anise-like quality.
EPAZOTE – Used in the Andes for soups and stews
MUÑA – Andean mint used for altitude sickness and cooking
CHINCO – a native herb essential for pachamanca preparation, it has aromatic, anise-like flavor
Peruvian cuisine has less emphasis on dry spice blends compared to other Latin American cuisines and a strong focus on fresh paste-based seasonings rather than dried spices, extensive use of lime in coastal cuisine, and integration of fermented ingredients like chicha de jora — corn beer, or pisco — grape brandy, in marinades and sauces. Many of these seasonings, especially the native peppers and herbs, are difficult to substitute.
Interestingly, garlic and onions, while not native to Peru, are used in such large quantities that they’ve become fundamental to the cuisine’s flavor profile. They often form the base of dishes along with ají peppers.
Cumin, oregano, and black pepper were introduced by Europeans but are now used in distinctly Peruvian ways – in marinades for anticuchos and in meat dishes. These spices are used more subtly than in other Latin American cuisines.
Unique seasoning combinations emerged from cultural fusion. For instance, the use of soy sauce was introduced by Chinese immigrants and created new flavor profiles.
SAUCES
LECHE DE TIGRE – Though technically the marinade for ceviche, it’s often served as a sauce or even drunk on its own. Contains lime juice, fish juice, chilies, garlic, cilantro, and other seasonings.
HUANCAÍNA SAUCE – A creamy, spicy yellow sauce made with ají amarillo, queso fresco — fresh cheese, milk, saltine crackers, and garlic. It’s famous as the sauce for Papa a la Huancaína but is used widely.
OCOPA SAUCE – A sauce from Arequipa similar to huancaína but distinctly flavored with huacatay — black mint, and ground peanuts, often including evaporated milk and crackers.
AJÍ VERDE – A fresh, spicy green sauce made with cilantro, jalapeños or ají amarillo, lime juice, and garlic. It’s commonly served as a table condiment and used particularly with grilled meats.
SALSA CRIOLLA – A fresh sauce/relish made with sliced red onions, lime juice, chilies, and cilantro. It’s served with many dishes, particularly grilled meats and anticuchos.
CHALACA – A fresh condiment of diced onions, chilies, corn, and lime juice.
Egypt
SEASONINGS
Salt, cumin and coriander have been the main Egyptian seasonings since ancient times. The oldest recorded use of cumin dates back 5000 years when cumin was used in the embalming process due to its antibacterial properties (source). Warm and floral coriander belongs to the same family as cumin and goes hand in hand, supplementing each other in Egyptian dishes to create warmth and depth. Heat-wise, food is not overly spicy, unlike their Western or Southern neighbors, the focus is more on the aromatic side.
The ancient Egyptians are known to have used a lot of garlic and onions in their everyday dishes, and this tradition continues. Fresh and fried garlic, mashed with herbs, is very prominent, and onions, fried and sprinkled on top, are a frequent garnish. A unique Egyptian flavoring ingredient is black honey, also known as sugar cane molasses, a liquid black sweetener used in desserts and marinades.
A famous Egyptian nut and spice mix DUKKAH, meaning ‘pound’ in Arabic, it illustrates how it is made – pounded finely or coarsely. It’s a versatile mix – used to crust meat, fish, sprinkled on bread, or over eggs. The composition varies from family to family, still, the common ingredients are nuts, sesame, coriander, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Dukkah is gaining popularity in countries outside of Egypt, largely due to its exposure through TV shows.
Other spice mixes used widely in Egypt are shared with other cultures:
Levantine ZA’ATAR – dried oregano, thyme or marjoram, sumac, sesame seeds, salt.
Arabic BAHARAT – black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, paprika.
North African RAS EL HANOUT can have 30 or more ingredients. Some blends can have up to 80 spices! Here are some common ones: cardamom, clove, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, peppercorn, turmeric, paprika, fenugreek, anise, ginger, chili pepper, allspice, mace, dried rose petals.
SAUCES
Some are local, some have come from elsewhere. These sauces are used with dishes in Egypt:
TA’ALEYA is a garlic sauce made by frying garlic with ghee and then adding coriander and chili. It is used to flavor bamia or koshary.
TEHINA is a sesame paste, garlic, salt, cumin, and lemon juice mix that goes with almost everything.
TOMAYA is a garlic sauce made from mashed garlic, lemon juice, and salt, often served as a condiment with grilled meats, chicken, or seafood. It’s similar to a Mediterranean garlic dip called toum.
BISSARA is a split fava bean sauce or dip, also featuring onions, garlic, lemon juice, hot peppers, parsley, dill, mint.
MOLOKHIA is eaten with bread as a soup or dip, but can be categorized as a sauce.
SHATTA – a hot chili sauce made from crushed red chilies, garlic, lemon, and vinegar. It’s a spicy condiment served with koshary, ful medames, and falafel.