Hawaij

Hawaij
Hawaij for sale in Tel Aviv, Israel
TypeSpice
Place of originYemen
Main ingredientsCumin, black pepper, turmeric, and cardamom

Hawaij (Arabic: حوايج, lit.'necessities'[1] [ħa.ˈwaː.jid͡ʒ], Hebrew: חוויג'/חוואיג'), also spelled hawayej or hawayij, is a variety of Yemeni ground spice mixtures used primarily for soups and Yemeni coffee.

The basic mixture for soup is also used in stews, curry-style dishes, rice and vegetable dishes, and even as a barbecue rub. It is made from cumin, black pepper, turmeric and cardamom. More elaborate versions may include ground cloves, caraway, nutmeg, saffron, coriander, fenugreek and ground dried onions.[2] The Adeni version is made of cumin, black pepper, cardamom and coriander.[3]

The mixture for coffee is made from aniseeds, fennel seeds, ginger and cardamom. Although it is primarily used in brewing coffee, it is also used in desserts, cakes and slow-cooked meat dishes.[2] In Aden, the mixture is made with ginger, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon for black coffee, and when used for tea excludes the ginger.[3]

In Israel, hawaij is used extensively by Yemenite Jews and its use has spread more widely into Israeli cuisine as a result.[3]

  1. ^ "Mawrid Reader".
  2. ^ a b Gur, Jana, The Book of New Israeli Food: A Culinary Journey Schocken (2008), pg. 295
  3. ^ a b c Roden, Claudia, The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York, Knopf (1996), p. 234