Mahleb

{{short description|Spice made from cherry pits}} {{Infobox food | name = Mahleb | image = Prma 002 shp (Prunus mahaleb).jpg | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = Whole stones; the seeds are inside | alternate_name = Mahlepi | type = Spice | course = | country = | region = Middle East | national_cuisine = | creator =  | year = | mintime = | maxtime = | served = | main_ingredient = Cherry seeds | minor_ingredient = | variations = | serving_size = 100 g | calories = | calories_ref = | protein = | fat = | carbohydrate = | glycemic_index = | similar_dish = | cookbook = | commons = | other = | no_recipes= false }} thumb|Packaged mahleb with English, Armenian and Arabic text

'''Mahleb''' or '''mahlepi''' is an aromatic spice made from the seeds of a species of cherry, ''Prunus mahaleb'' (the Mahaleb or St Lucie cherry). The cherry stones are cracked to extract the seed kernel, which is about 5 mm in diameter, and 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,<ref name="Edible">{{Citation |editor-first=Barbara |editor-last=Levitt |date=November 2008 |title=Edible: An Illustrated Guide to the World's Food Plants |publisher=National Geographic Society |isbn=978-1-4262-0372-5 |page=294 |id={{Google books|HORIzBx17DYC|Preview|page=294}}}}</ref> and also similar to marzipan.<ref name="Spiegel">{{cite news |last=Reuter |first=Christoph |title=Mini-Republics: A Syrian Village Seeks to Survive amid Carnage |publisher=Der Spiegel |date=2016-01-13 |url= http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/a-village-in-syria-seeks-survival-amid-warfare-a-1070742.html |access-date=2016-03-08}}</ref>

Mahleb is used in small quantities to sharpen sweet foods and cakes,<ref name="Spiegel"/> and is used in production of tresse cheese.

It has been used for centuries in the Middle East 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.<ref>Gadotti, A. (2014). Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld and the Sumerian Gilgamesh Cycle. De Gruyter. {{ISBN|161451545X}}.</ref> In recent decades, it has been slowly entering mainstream cookbooks in English.<ref>{{Citation |editor-first=Norma |editor-last=MacMillan |date=October 2010 |title=The Illustrated Cook's Book of Ingredients |edition=1st American |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |isbn=978-0-7566-6730-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K3_LJUK9ywwC&pg=PA354|page=354}}</ref>

In Greek cuisine, ''mahlep'' is sometimes added to holiday breads and cakes such as ''Christopsomo'' (''gr: χριστόψωμο'') for Christmas, ''vasilopita'' for New Year's Day, and the braided ''tsoureki'' for Easter (called ''cheoreg'' in Armenian and ''paskalya çöreği '' in Turkish).<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = Oxford University Press| isbn = 978-0-19-931362-4| title = The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets| date = 2015-04-01|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XPNgBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT207}}</ref>

In Turkey, it is used in ''poğaça'' scones and other pastries. In the Arabic Middle East, it is used in ''ma'amoul'' scones. In Egypt, 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, and other variations.

==See also== * List of cherry dishes

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Spices Category:Cherry dishes Category:Cypriot cuisine Category:Greek cuisine Category:Middle Eastern cuisine Category:Iranian cuisine Category:Arabic words and phrases Category:Turkish cuisine