What is Advieh?
There are numerous variations of "Advieh", each with its own unique blend of spices. The word "Advieh" literally translates to "Spice" in Persian.
With the exception of "Advieh Mahi" which has a small percentage of celery salt, thus providing a low sodium spice mix, all of our other Persian Advieh collection are salt free for each jar of Persian seasoning.
Each of our spice mixes are vegan by default and therefore do lend themselves to vegan recipes and for those who wish to transition or explore vegan cuisine from scratch cooking.
As we mill and blend in-house, the heat created during the milling process brings out the natural oils from every single ingredient. Therefore, we would suggest that you should not heat up the spice mixes when using them as a seasoning, marinade or a rub.
Persian Spices
The specific ratios and ingredients used in each Advieh mix will vary from recipe to recipe and from household to household in Persian culture.
All of our carefully sourced Camelēr Spice Co ingredients are milled and blended with green energy for each Advieh blend. This is something we feel passionate about, due to the fact that most spices are shipped around the world on big diesel ships. Our green energy comes from 100% renewables or is 100% carbon offset.
The Persian "Advieh" Collection
Advieh Ash is a type of Advieh, which is a blend of spices commonly used in Persian cuisine. Advieh Ash is used to flavour traditional thick Persian soups called Ash or Aash. This blend can often lend itself to stews which will become obvious when you see the ingredients as follows. A hearty, slow-cooked soup made with ingredients like beans, vegetables, meats, noodles, herbs and spices. The specific spices used in Advieh Ash can vary, but typically include a mix of warm spices.
In our instance Fenugreek leaves (Methi) is one of the prime ingredients. Our ‘Advieh Ash has further ingredients such as black pepper, cinnamon, coriander seeds, cumin, and nutmeg, creating a unique mix considered suitable for soups. The Iranian word “Ash” is pronounced “Osh” However, ‘Aush’ is also another word that might be used instead of Ash. It comes from the Iranian word ‘Ashpaz’ which translates as a person who cooks ash. When the noodles are added to the soup they are said to be a metaphor for good fortunate on a path to success. Obviously, we encourage you to add noodles alongside our delicious Advieh Ash to help you on your path to success. (jesting) There will be many versions of Advieh Ash all dependant on the region that you might be from in Iran. Predominately these slow cooked soups are part of Iranian and Afghan cuisine, but versions can also be found in Pakistani, Turkish (Türkler) and Azerbaijani cuisine.
Advieh-E Khoresh is another type of Advieh, which is a blend of spices commonly
used in Persian stews. The word Khoresh translates as stew in Persian. Khoresh can also be spelt ‘Khoresht’. These stews are often served over a bed of rice. The Khoresh stew is often used at vigil events. It is said that most of the Khoresh stews are labours of love in preparation and cooking times.
Our Great Taste winner - 2022 includes heady but balanced ingredients such as black lime (loomi), cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, rose petals, saffron and turmeric. The combination of spices creates a unique and flavourful sauce for the stew. Our Advieh-E Khoresh lends itself to a host of different recipes. We have tried it in a lamb stew. However, one of our customers uses it for chicken thigh tray bakes and the head chef at a famous London 5 star hotel uses this blend in risotto. If we are to stay on the traditional route, it will lend itself to a diverse audience of stew concoctions. You could try it with, game such as venison or pheasant. In traditional Persian cuisine it has been known to be used in lamb or beef kebabs. If you are a vegan or vegetarian or you simply don’t fancy meat, Advieh-E Khoresh will lend itself to ingredients such as plums, apricots and lentils. We are told by indigenous Iranian customers that you might use it to flavour rice or couscous dishes. What is more, you could add it to an omelette or even roast potatoes or cheese toasties. As a blend, Advieh-E Khoresh is often used in recipes that require aubergines (eggplant).
Advieh Berenj is another specific type of Advieh, which is a blend of spices commonly used in Persian cuisine. Sometimes the ‘Berenj’ blend can be known as ‘Polow’ Advieh Berenj is used to flavour rice dishes, particularly rice dishes that are served as a side dish or as the base for a more complex dish. The specific spices used in our Advieh Berenj are cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, rose petals and turmeric. Our combination of spices adds a sublime but delicate flavour and aroma to the rice. If you like aromatic and floral notes then Advieh Berenj will suit your cultured palate. The prefect side dish or base to a dish like a stew (Khoresh/Khoresht). It is important to note that this will lend itself to couscous, lentils, legume and bean-based recipes. We often advise our customers that if you don’t like the flavour profile of the Khoresh then try the Berenj as it is somewhat more delicate. The saffron of the ‘Advieh Khoresh’ is not for everyone and alongside the black lime it gives a very intense and unique flavour with a light bitter taste. The Advieh Berenj meaning spice rice has a combination of floral, warming and light citrusy notes. However not to contradict the previous comment, customers who like the Advieh-E Khoresh will typically like the Advieh Berenj and the Advieh-E Halegh which is our next Advieh in the collection. Simply because all 3 blends are more aromatic and floral with the common rose petal ingredient. The other two Advieh Blends ‘Ash and Mahi’ are herbier with heavy base layer coming from the fenugreek leaves. The Persian dish “Tahdig” is a flavoursome crispy rice dish that would lend itself very well to, Advieh Berenj, Advieh-E Khoresh or Advieh Ash. “Tahdig” pronunciation “tah-deeg” means “bottom of the pot” in Persian. Please don’t be plucky, use a non stick pan if you find a recipe to follow and inspire.
Advieh-E Halegh is a type of spice mix commonly used in Persian pudding
cuisine. However, there is a bit of a nuance to the history which is not very exacting for this ancient spice blend. The origins of ‘Halegh’ are not so clear but it is thought to decent from the Jewish diaspora that are from Iran. When you research the spices used in Halegh, you can go down a rabbit hole of cultures and regions. Charoset meaning clay is a type of desert sometimes known as Halegh that uses dates, walnuts, apples, pears, pomegranates, spices and possibly wine. Albeit the ingredients can vary.
Halek (Persian Haroset) seems to be another version of Charoset/Halegh. We told you it was complex.
Nevertheless our "Advieh-E Halegh" - 2021 Quality Food Award accolade UK and Ireland "Highly commended" is traditionally used to flavour the aforementioned dishes of sweet pudding or porridge. The specific spices used in this award winning Persian blend are cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, rose petals and turmeric. The layers of warming and floral notes with lemony undertones make it the perfect foundation or seasoning to baked cakes, overnight oats or even cocktails as well as traditional deserts such as rice pudding or apple or rhubarb fruit-based puddings, like crumbles for example. We think you could also try it in jam and we know we have customers who add it to custard or crème anglaise depending on how fancy you might be. Check out this epic recipe composed by Gemma Scott. A Leith's School Graduate and renowned recipe developer who curated this beautiful "Spiced rhubarb croissant pudding" especially for Valentines Day, using up stale croissants. The perfect Valentine recipe for two to share. Full recipe is here.
Advieh Mahi is a type of Advieh, specifically for fish in Persian cuisine. A particular emphasis is given to grilled or baked fish. Our ‘Advieh Mahi’ has a light heat pleasure from chilli, black pepper, coriander seeds, cumin, fenugreek leaves, garlic powder, turmeric and celery salt. It’s taste profile is earthy and garlicky with a scent that is tangy and fruity. ‘Mahi’ literally translates as fish. It is fair to say that ‘Advieh Mahi’ which would be one of our high selling blends, is a grand compliment to fish.
It makes a great marriage with kedgeree and fish stew should you wish to explore beyond grilled salmon or cod. Most recently we have had a restaurant that has put our blend on the menu for an octopus lollipop with Advieh Mahi partnered with a mango and crayfish salsa. Classically, customers who like Advieh Mahi also like Advieh Ash, because of the flavour profile and the high content of Fenugreek leaves.
There is no set number of Advieh blends, the number of Advieh blends is difficult to determine, but there are many different variations that exist.
Some factors to consider when choosing an Advieh spice blend could include the quality and freshness of the spices used, the balance of flavours in the blend, and the reputation of the brand. We mill and blend all of our ingredients in-house and we carefully source our ingredient. We might confidently suggest that the spice alchemy formula brings an addition that helps us grow our community. Full range of "Advieh" spices can be found in the ingredients index.
