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By Aglaia Kremezi

Published 2014

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Consisting of the small seeds of a kind of wild cherry and about the size of apple seeds, mahlep gives a sweet and smoky aroma to breads and other baked goods. Its grains should be the color of café au lait; a dark-brown color indicates that the spice is old and probably stale. Mahlep is sold in most Middle Eastern stores (see Sources. Buy whole grains, not the powder. Keep them in sealed jars in the freezer and grind small quantities as needed to make the spice blend for breads.