Lebanese 7 Spice (Baharat): What’s in It, Uses and Substitutes

Lebanese 7 spice, or sabaa baharat (“seven spices”), is a warm, sweet-peppery blend of ground spices, often led by allspice, with black pepper, cinnamon and cloves. It is the Lebanese version of baharat, the Arabic word for spices, and it seasons kibbeh, kofta, rice, stews and stuffed vegetables with warmth rather than chilli heat. This guide covers what is in it, how it compares with baharat and allspice, a homemade blend, eight uses and the 7 spice blends in our spices and herbs range.

What is Lebanese 7 spice?

Seven spice is an everyday seasoning in many Lebanese kitchens. Like za’atar, it has no fixed recipe: the mix varies from family to family and brand to brand, and “seven” is a name rather than a rule. One of our blends lists seven spices, another eleven. Most share a core of four:

• Allspice: the backbone, warm with notes of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Black pepper: sharp, pungent warmth.
• Cinnamon: sweet, woody depth.
• Cloves: intensely aromatic, so used sparingly.

Nutmeg, ginger, coriander and cumin are common additions, and some blends add cardamom, fenugreek, caraway or mahlab, a cherry-kernel spice.

Lebanese 7 spice vs baharat vs allspice

Baharat means “spices” in Arabic and, in cooking, a spice blend. Lebanese 7 spice is the Lebanese version, usually rich in allspice, so in a Lebanese recipe “baharat” often means 7 spice. Elsewhere it can differ: food writer Christine McFadden’s basic baharat, a mix she says is popular in Turkey and the Gulf states, is built on equal parts black pepper and mild paprika, with smaller amounts of cumin, coriander, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Allspice is one spice, not a blend: the dried berry of Pimenta dioica, a tree native to the West Indies and Central America. Britannica says it was named allspice because its flavour resembles a combination of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Ohio State University’s Middle East Studies Center counts it among the defining spices of Levantine cooking, where it is known as bahar; Lebanese cooks also call it bahar helou (“sweet spice”). A Lebanese recipe asking for bhar usually means allspice, such as our Abido Ground Allspice (Bahar Helou).

Our Lebanese 7 spice blends compared

The suggested amounts come from each product page.

Always read the label before cooking for someone with an allergy, as recipes can change.

How to make Lebanese 7 spice at home

This version uses seven single spices we stock and makes about 2½ tablespoons, enough to season 2–3kg of mince:

• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom

Mix and tip into a clean, dry jar. Add a pinch of nutmeg or ginger if you have them, then adjust: more allspice for a rounder blend, more pepper for bite, and cloves or cardamom only a pinch at a time, as they are strong. In a hurry, equal parts allspice, black pepper and cinnamon get you most of the way.

How to use Lebanese 7 spice: 8 ideas

Use 1–2 teaspoons per 500g of mince, or ½–1 teaspoon in a pot of rice or stew for four; start with the lower amount, as blends vary in strength. Add salt separately unless your blend contains it (Abido’s has none). The Food Standards Agency says “any meat that has been minced or skewered all the way through should be cooked thoroughly”. Without a food thermometer, check that you can see steam rising from the surface and from the middle when you cut into it, and that the meat has browned.

• Kofta (kafta): mix 500g minced lamb or beef with a grated, squeezed onion, a handful of chopped parsley, 1–2 tsp 7 spice and 1 tsp salt. Shape into 8 fingers or skewers and grill or pan-fry for 10–12 minutes, turning, until cooked through. Serves 4.
• Kibbeh: soak 250g fine bulgur, the usual choice for kibbeh, until tender, squeeze it dry and blitz with 500g lean mince, 1 tsp 7 spice and salt into a smooth dough. Fry 250g mince with a chopped onion and ½ tsp 7 spice, sandwich it between two layers of dough in an oiled 23cm tin and bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for 30–40 minutes. Serves 6. Bulgur is wheat, so it contains gluten.
• Hashweh (rice with mince): for 4, fry a chopped onion in 2 tbsp oil, add 250g mince and brown it, then stir in 1–2 tsp 7 spice. Add 300g rinsed long-grain rice, such as basmati, with water or stock as the pack directs; cover and simmer until tender. Scatter with toasted nuts.
• Roast chicken: rub 1kg bone-in thighs with 2 tbsp olive oil, the juice of a lemon, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tsp 7 spice and 1 tsp salt, then roast at 200°C (180°C fan) for 40–45 minutes. Serves 4. The FSA says never wash raw chicken, and to check that the meat is steaming hot all the way through, none of the meat is pink when you cut into the thickest part and any juices run clear. For wraps, see how to make chicken shawarma.
• Lentils: stir ½–1 tsp, with 1 tsp ground cumin, into mujaddara, Levantine lentils and rice topped with fried onions; our brown lentils need no soaking.
• Stuffed vegetables: mix 250g mince, 150g rinsed rice, a chopped tomato, 1 tsp 7 spice and salt to fill about 6 peppers or 8 small courgettes (koussa), then simmer in a light tomato broth for 45–60 minutes, until the rice is tender.
• Tomato stews: add ½–1 tsp to yakhneh, tomato-based stews of vegetables such as green or white beans, often with lamb or beef.
• Grains and lamb: fry ½ tsp with the onion for a freekeh or medium bulgur pilaf (freekeh is wheat too; see how to cook freekeh), or rub lamb chops with olive oil, lemon, garlic and 1 tsp 7 spice before grilling.

How to store 7 spice

• Cool, dry and dark: away from heat and sunlight; once open, reseal the pack or decant it into an airtight jar.
• Big packs: fill a small jar for everyday use and keep the main bag sealed.
• Dry spoons only: damp makes ground spices clump, so don’t shake the jar over a steaming pan.
• Freshness: ground spices fade faster than whole ones, so mix homemade blends in small batches; for packs, go by the best before date.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Lebanese 7 spice made of?

Recipes vary, but most Lebanese 7 spice is built on allspice, black pepper, cinnamon and cloves, often with nutmeg, ginger, coriander or cumin. Abido’s blend lists allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and mahlab, with no salt; Greenfields’ lists eleven spices, including fenugreek, caraway and cardamom, plus a little cornmeal.

Is Lebanese 7 spice the same as baharat?

It is one kind of baharat, which means “spices” in Arabic and, in cooking, a spice blend. Lebanese 7 spice is the Lebanese version, usually rich in allspice, so a Lebanese recipe that asks for baharat often means 7 spice. Gulf and Turkish-style baharat may be built on black pepper and paprika and taste quite different, so check the ingredients.

Is 7 spice the same as allspice?

No. Allspice is a single spice, the dried berry of the Pimenta dioica tree, called bahar helou (“sweet spice”) in Lebanon. It tastes of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, and it is a key ingredient in most 7 spice blends. Lebanese 7 spice adds black pepper, cinnamon, cloves and more, so it tastes more peppery and complex.

What can I use instead of 7 spice?

Mix your own with the recipe above. For a quick swap, use the same amount of ground allspice, the closest single spice, plus a pinch each of black pepper and cinnamon. Check the label before using another baharat or a shawarma blend: paprika, chilli, sumac or salt will change the dish.

Is 7 spice hot?

No. Lebanese 7 spice is warming rather than chilli-hot: its gentle heat comes from black pepper, and from ginger in blends that include it. Greenfields describes its blend as fragrant, gently spiced warmth with no real burn. Don’t confuse it with Japanese seven-spice (shichimi tōgarashi), a hot, chilli-based blend.