Glossary

The whole country is scented with them, and exhales an odor marvelously sweet. (Herodotus, Book III, Chapter 113, on Near Eastern spices)

As far back as Sumerian times, the Iraqi cuisine had the tendency to use combinations of spices to add rich flavors to its food. From the Sumerian culinary records, we learn that ‘naga’ was a seasoning for the poor, and ‘gazi’ was for the well-to-do families. According to a Sumerian proverb, ‘The poor man is the one who does not have the gazi when he has meat, nor does he have meat when he has gazi.’ Mills to grind spices and seeds reached a high degree of specialization. The cumin mill, for instance, was different from the one used for crushing mustard seeds. And the tradition continued. The proof is the extant medieval recipes, which incorporate a balanced harmonious combination of spices, most of which we still use.