The Bzaar Mix

You will notice that in all my recipes I call for a tablespoon (at least) of ''bzaar.'' Early on in the blog I described it as the essential Libyan spice mix. It has a little bit of everything from black pepper to coriander power to ginger. As far back as I can remember, my mother always had her bzaar made in Libya. Obviously, it was made in mass quantities and would last till the next Libya trip. What I didn't realize was that the exact mixture of my mother's bzaar was specific to the city we're from in Libya--Gheryan.

Every region, city, or family has a different variation of what is in bzaar but since I make my recipes based on my mothers combination of spices, I think its important that I post a recipe on which spices to combine to get that mixture. I have created a spice mixture that is as near to the original as I could get. I concocted this mix and tried it in my own kitchen and found it to be a great substitute. Its a combination of 5 spices that are easily found at most grocery stores and certainly at an ethnic food store. It hits all the same notes that my mother bzaar does and creates the backbone of Libyan cooking.

 What you'll need.

- 1 heaping tablespoon of turmeric
- 1 tablespoon of caraway powder
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon 7-spice (If you cant find 7-spice, here is a link to make your own.)

Boosla

Boosla just means onion. Its a topper thats used on many main Libyan dishes. Its always the same recipe. If I call for Boosla, this is it!


What you'll need:
- 3 onions
- 2 tablespoons samin ( سمنة ) or ghee
- 1 cup garbanzo beans
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Harrarat

Tomato Paste

Tomato paste is the most vital ingredient to Libyan cooking, only second to olive oil.

Tomato paste are not equal opportunity. Some can be very bitter and others almost tin tasting from the can. Its important to pick a tomato paste that is good quality. Personally, I like using Contadina.

Olive Oil

You CANNOT make Libyan food without......

Well, I guess technically you could not use Olive Oil but it just IS NOT the same. Libya is lush with Olive trees in its mountain regions, especially in towns like Gheryan and Zintan. Olives are collected during the winter months and send to a local press to be squeezed and the essential oil is bottled. Fresh olive oil is bitter, it is aged for months before use.

You will never find a Libyan dish that does not call for it. Its important to use good quality oil. Typically its Extra Virgin Olive Oil that is used. At least in the United States, its generally been found that the brand Pompeian has the best taste.

Olive oil can be pricey. So while quality is important, this ingredient is used heavily so dont break the bank.

Spices

Libyan food finds its unique flavor in the combination of 3 or 4 main seasonings/spices: 'Bzaar', 'Hararat', salt and cayenne pepper.

Upper Left hand: Hararat. Upper Right hand: Cayenne Pepper. Lower Left: Bzaar. Lower Right: Salt

They are essentials. You may be able to operate without Harrarat but without Bzaar you cannot. The drawback to Libyan food is, Bzaar is not something you can find in your local grocers spice aisle. It is more often than not a roasted, milled, and combined at home-- and by home I mean in Libya. 

Whats in Bzaar:

A mixture of ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, turmeric, cloves, coriander, and caraway

Whats in Harrarat:   

A mixture of ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamon, all-spice, nutmeg, and white pepper

The exact mixture and measurements of each spice in each mixture is beyond me and I think a bit more advanced than what this blog can offer. I dont think there is any Libyan lady who has actually measured how much of each goes into Bzaar.