Dukkah

Dukkah is a dry mixture of nuts, seeds and spices, regarded as an Egyptian condiment although it is found across the Middle East. It is traditionally eaten with bread dipped in olive oil or sprinkled over vegetables, and its appeal lies in its simplicity and its use of affordable ingredients.

History

The name comes from an Arabic verb meaning to pound, because the spices and nuts are dry-roasted and then crushed to a texture that is neither powder nor paste. Written sources from Egypt date back to the nineteenth century: the orientalist Edward William Lane described it in 1860 as a blend of salt, pepper, za'atar or cumin, with other ingredients added according to what a household could afford, eaten with bread. In 1895 Socrates Spiro recorded it in a dictionary as ground spices eaten with bread, mainly by the poor.

Over time, each family and vendor developed their own recipe. Packaged versions are sold in paper cones in the spice markets of Cairo, and an older variant combines toasted wheat flour with cumin and caraway. In the Hejaz region it became part of the local cuisine for decades, and in the Gaza Strip it takes a distinct form with dill seeds and chile flakes, shaped by what was available.

Culture

Dukkah is part of everyday eating rather than festive cooking. It is served as a starter or snack: pita bread, often fresh and drizzled with olive oil, is dipped into the mixture, or the blend is scattered over raw vegetables. In Gaza it is a common topping for manakish, the baked flatbread. It also serves as a crunchy coating for lamb, prawns, fish or chicken.

Its base of hazelnuts or chickpeas, sesame, coriander, cumin, paprika and salt varies from household to household, and modern versions may include pine nuts, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. Today it can be found both in traditional market stalls and in Middle Eastern food shops outside the region.