Variations
In my research, I have noticed that there are many different variations of sabaa’ Baharat. Some variations are cultural, depending on the country of origin. Many of the Middle-Eastern countries such as Syria, Egypt, and Iraq each have their own special blend. But, even the “Lebanese” version varies a bit. Of the seven different spices in this spice blend, four of them are prevalent in almost every recipe I found. Those four spices are allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, and cloves. Some other spices that are often included are ground ginger, fenugreek, nutmeg, white pepper, cumin and ground coriander.
Cinnamon is quite often used in meat dishes in Lebanese cooking. The warmth of its flavor pairs so well with the remaining ingredients. I tend to buy my cinnamon ground but, I do keep cinnamon sticks on hand for other purposes such as boiling beef or chicken for stock.
Cloves however, I tend to use whole (also to make stock) so, I will grind it fresh for this spice blend. The ratio of spices in this spice blend is 1:1 for all the spices except cloves. Since cloves have a pungent taste, I am halving it, as to not overpower the overall flavor.
Unlike cinnamon, cloves and cumin which tend to be some of the key spices in Indian cuisine, allspice and coriander are actually more often seen in Middle-eastern cooking. Coriander is actually the dried seeds of the cilantro plant. I found this out this summer when my cilantro plant started budding flowers and the seeds were falling out!