Peri Peri To Duqqa, 7 African Spices For Exotic Meals At Home

Everybody today knows that humankind originated on the huge continent of Africa and so did some of the most ancient civilizations of the world. Naturally then, food from the continent is jam-packed with local ingredients, age-old recipes and delicious dishes that are only now beginning to be recognized the world over, though perhaps not as much as they deserve. Even in India, which has had a close contact with African nations for centuries now, you’d be hard-pressed to find the best of African cuisines on offer—even though we love our spices as much as they do. 

And that’s where this article should come into play. If you are a chef or a home cook, then you know the value of experimenting with new flavours. If nothing brings flavour like spices do, then there is a whole world of African spices to explore! Given the fact that most of us are dab hands at using spices by instinct, incorporating African spices into your meals shouldn’t be that difficult, right? They might seem a little exotic at first, but addition of new flavours is a sure-shot way of transforming the simplest of meals into feasts. 

Wondering which African spices to experiment with? Here are seven amazing African spices that you can easily use in your food. 

Berbere 

Quite like our garam masala, Berbere is a spice blend. Originating in Ethiopia, this spice blend is made with spices like dry red chilli, allspice, garlic, cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom seeds and carom seeds. Typically used to make rich soups and stews, Berbere is used both in its dry form and in paste form. This spice packs a lot of heat, so handle it with care! 

 ASIN ID - B09Z6RM6L9   

Harissa 

You might be more familiar with this spice blend as it is now used the world over, especially in Europe and the USA where a large part of the African diaspora lives. Originating in the Maghreb region of North Africa (current Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia), Harissa is made with red chilli peppers grown in the region. These chillies are blended with Baklouti peppers, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, garlic and olive oil to make a paste, but it is also available in a dry form.  

 ASIN ID - B09RN33JHQ   

Duqqa 

Originating in Egypt and also spelled as Dukkah, Duqqa is one of the nuttiest and most balanced of African spice blends. Made with a combination of herbs, toasted nuts and spices like cumin, coriander and sesame. Ground to a corase powder, Duqqa is used to make everything from bread to dips, and works really well as a topping for salads as well as meat. Packed with high protein, Duqqa is a very healthy spice blend to have too. 

 ASIN ID - B09XHPSFZ2   

Peri Peri 

You might be under the misconception that Peri Peri is a Portuguese spice, but actually it is a product of colonialism. Also known as piri piri and pili pili, this spicy seasoning is made from Peri Peri chillies grown in the Southern African region which now consists of Angola, Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa. Peri Peri can be used to season everything from chicken and meat to grilled vegetables. This one packs a lot of heat too. 

 ASIN ID - B0B53FYYK1   

Pul Biber 

Also known as Aleppo pepper because of its Syrian origins, Pul Biber literally translates to pepper flakes. Made with the burgundy-coloured ripened Halaby pepper grown in the region, this spice is used extensively in North Africa too. The Pul biber peppers are semi-dried, deseeded and then crushed to make a corase powder or flakes which are then used to season all sorts of dishes, especially meat. 

 ASIN ID - B097GW4NZV   

Taliouine Saffron 

This saffron variety comes from a mountain village called Taliouine in the Souktana plateau in Morocco. Very rare—and therefore quite expensive—this saffron variety is grown by members of the Cooperative Agricole de Taliouine, a small farmers group. Harvested between October and November, the Taliouine Saffron is not as bright in colour as Kashmiri or Middle Eastern saffron varieties. Yet, its flavour and aroma are very intense making it one of the most highly sought after saffron types in the world. 

 ASIN ID - B088ZWRG8D   

Za’atar 

Another spice blend from Egypt, Za’atar is also used extensively in Middle Eastern and Levantine cuisines—but the blend of spices vary from region to region, making the Egyptian Za’atar unique among its peers. Prepared with herbs and spices like marjoran, thyme, oregano, coriander, cumin, sumac, sesame and salt, Za’atar is one of the most balanced of spice blends because it has equal amounts of savoriness and sweetness with a hint of bitterness.

 ASIN ID - B07L9BSQFG