Mahleb or mahlepi is an aromatic

spice In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...

made from the seeds of a species of cherry, '' Prunus mahaleb'' (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 and cherry, and also similar 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 ...

. It has been used for centuries in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

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, ''mahlep'' is sometimes added to different types of holiday breads and cakes, such as '' christopsomo'' ('' gr: χριστόψωμο'') in Christmas, '' vasilopita'' in New Year's day, and the braided '' tsoureki'' in Easter (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 around the ...

and ''paskalya çöreği '' in Turkish). In

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

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

ma'amoul Ma'amoul ( ) is a filled butter cookie made with semolina flour. It is popular throughout the Arab world. The filling can be made with dried fruits like figs, Phoenix dactylifera, dates, or Nut (fruit), nuts such as pistachios or walnuts, and o ...

'' scones. In

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, 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