Which spices are allowed in the Tayyibat system? The full list, kept and set aside

Short answer

A short list: of the 26 spices and condiments the site tracks, 10 are kept and 16 are set aside (khabith in Arabic, the word Dr Diaa Al-Awadi uses for what he puts on the set-aside side, explained here). Straight answers to the most common questions. Hail (cardamom): yes, but only the green kind, black cardamom is set aside. Coriander: no, coriander seeds are set aside, and the site's texts also list fresh coriander among the set-aside foods. Paprika: no, set aside. Rosemary: no, set aside. The system's five basic seasonings are salt, green cardamom, saffron, thyme, and green anise.

The table of all 26 spices and condiments

Here is every spice and condiment on the list, with its status and the condition when there is one.

The ten that are kept take up little room, and four of them come with a stated measure: olives, pickled lemon, ketchup, and mustard. For the rest, the site's texts are clear: a spice that is set aside stays set aside even in a small amount. The full food list covers all 122 foods of the system, not only the spices.

Hail, coriander, paprika, rosemary: the answers

Hail is cardamom. On the list, it is green cardamom that is kept, and black cardamom that is set aside. When you buy it, check that it really is green cardamom. The site's texts present it as the everyday spice, notably in Arabic coffee. Coriander. The list names coriander seeds, and they are set aside. Fresh coriander (the leaves) is not named on the list, but one sentence in the site's texts explicitly places it among the set-aside foods, with parsley and celery. Paprika is set aside. It appears among the seasonings the site's texts advise turning down in a restaurant, together with oregano and cumin. Rosemary is set aside, like oregano and bay leaf. Among the herbs on the list, only thyme is kept. Anise follows the same two-version logic: green anise is kept, star anise is set aside.

What to season with, and what replaces cumin

The system seasons with very little: salt, green cardamom, saffron, thyme, green anise, plus a little pickled lemon or a few olives. The site's texts give concrete uses: beef boiled for a long time in salted water with cardamom, then seared in ghee; rice cooked with a thread of saffron; fish marinated in olive oil, lemon, thyme, and one green cardamom pod. Cumin is the first habit to drop. It is set aside, even as a pinch in the rice. In a lamb tagine, the site's texts replace the ras el hanout with three crushed green cardamom pods, six saffron threads, one teaspoon of dried thyme, and a cooked onion blended into a paste. The dish loses the brown spices and gains a more floral aroma. The lamb and prune tagine on the site rests on the same palette (green cardamom, saffron, salt), and this article on cumin sets out the rule. For a kabsa, the baharat is replaced by green cardamom, saffron, and a strip of dried lemon zest.

Ready-made spice blends

Ready-made blends raise the same problem as cumin: ras el hanout, garam masala, and curry blends are set aside. The site's texts advise buying the spices separately (green cardamom pods, saffron threads, dried thyme, green anise) and mixing your own at home. Zaatar is accepted only when it is made of thyme, without sumac. If you want to go further, you can receive the free excerpt of the guide: you leave your email address to get it.

Frequently asked questions

Is cumin allowed? No, cumin is set aside, even in a small amount: the site's texts specify that a spice that is set aside stays set aside even at a low dose. Do cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric pass? No, these three spices are set aside, like black pepper, sumac, nutmeg, and cloves. What about a spice that is not in the table? The system's list does not name it, so this article does not rule on it. The texts keep only salt, green cardamom, saffron, thyme, and green anise, plus olives, pickled lemon, sugarcane vinegar, ketchup, and mustard.