Zhug ( he, סְחוּג, s'ḥug), sahawiq (
Yemeni Arabic: ) or bisbas (
Somali: ) is a
hot sauce originating in
Yemeni cuisine. In other countries of the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
it is also called ma'booj ( ar, معبوج}).
Etymology
The word ''sahawiq'' comes from the Arabic root (
s-ḥ-q) which means to pestle or to crush.
Varieties
Varieties in Yemen include (green sahawiq), (red sahawiq), and (sahawiq with cheese, usually
Yemeni cheese
Yemeni cheese also known as Taiz cheese and known in Yemen as "local cheese" (Jubn Baladi), is a type of Yemeni cheese that is produced in rural areas of Yemen most famously in Taiz Governorate which is why it is known as Taizz cheese although o ...
). ''Sahawiq'' is one of the main ingredients of ''
saltah''. ''Wazif'' (traditional Yemeni dried baby sardines) is sometimes added to the ''sahawiqs ingredients and it is known as ''sahawiq wazif'' ( ar, سحاوق وزف, link=no).
In Israel, one can find ("red zhug"), ("green zhug") and ("brown zhug"), which has added
tomatoes. Red zhug is made with red peppers while green zhug is made with green peppers, or jalapeños. Zhug may be referred to by the generic term ( he, חריף, link=no; lit. "hot/spicy"). Also known as zhoug, it is a popular condiment at Israeli
falafel and
shawarma stands, and served with
hummus
Hummus (, ; ar, حُمُّص, 'chickpeas'; full Arabic name: ''ḥummuṣ bi-ṭ-ṭaḥīna'' ar, حمص بالطحينة, 'chickpeas with tahini'), also spelled hommus or houmous, is a Middle Eastern dip, spread, or savory dish made fr ...
.
Preparation
Zhug is made from fresh red or green
hot peppers
Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for t ...
seasoned with
,
garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...
, salt,
black cumin (optional) and various
spices, then mixed with olive oil. Some also add
caraway seed,
cardamom, and
black pepper.
Traditional Yemeni cooks prepare sahawiq using two stones: a large stone called ''marha (''مرهى'') used as a work surface and a smaller one called ''wdi'' (''ودي'') for crushing the ingredients. Alternative options are a
mortar and pestle or a food processor. Yemenis sometimes add ''
Pulicaria jaubertii
''Pulicaria'' is a genus of flowering plant in the sunflower family, native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. In North America ''Pulicaria'' is known by the common name false fleabane.
''Pulicaria'' species accepted by the Plants of the World O ...
''.
See also
*
Ajika, a hot dip in
Caucasian cuisine
*
Harissa, a hot chili pepper paste in
Maghreb cuisine
*
Muhammara or ''acuka'', a hot pepper dip in
Levantine cuisine
*
Pesto, a sauce made with crushed herbs and garlic in
Italian cuisine
*
Arab cuisine
*
Cuisine of the Mizrahi Jews
*
List of dips
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List of sauces
The following is a list of notable culinary and prepared sauces used in cooking and food service.
General
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* (salsa roja)
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* – a velouté sauce flavored ...
References
{{Condiments
Arabic words and phrases
Arab cuisine
Chili paste
Hot sauces
Israeli cuisine
Middle Eastern cuisine
Mizrahi Jewish cuisine
Yemeni cuisine
South Asian cuisine