One of my favourite spices is sumac; it has a sharp sourness and a bright colour that I cannot resist. Sumac is an old spice, its name derived from the Semitic root "smq," meaning "red". The name has undergone various transliterations, "Sumach in Latin and Old French, and "Summāq" in Arabic, illustrating the old heritage of this spice. The botanical plant is called Rhus coriaria, a plant that grows abundantly in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. One interesting fact abou

Some recipes come from the dessert, and this is one of them. The recipe is about a few ingredients and is cooked slowly to extract flavour and nourishment. Lentils form the core of this soup, slow-cooked until they retain a lovely bite, and spinach is added for colour and nourishment. The magic in the soup is the topping of coriander and garlic (taklia), which adds a pop and wonderful flavour. The soup is filling, and the slow cooking allows the community ot travellers to com

Shawarma are generally considered meat-filled, but a wonderful recipe uses earthy mushrooms. Shawarma originated in the Ottoman Empire...