Stocking a Palestinian pantry

A handful of spices, pastes, and staples turn up again and again across these recipes. Most of them keep well, and a good Middle Eastern grocer will carry nearly all of them. It is worth gathering a few before you start, so the cooking goes easily once you begin.

Allspice

A dried berry with a warm, earthy aroma that looks a little like a peppercorn. It is usually bought ground and finds its way into rice and most meat dishes.

Cardamom

Fragrant and floral, and a little goes a long way. For the best flavor, buy whole green pods and grind them just before you cook. Arabic coffee wants green cardamom rather than the smokier black kind.

Turmeric

Earthy and only faintly peppery, it is used here mostly to turn rice a warm, golden yellow.

Pomegranate Molasses

Pomegranate juice cooked down to a thick, tangy syrup with a gentle sweetness. A spoonful gives depth to stews, dressings, and marinades.

Sumac

A dark red, lemony berry, almost always sold ground. It carries fattoush and musakhan, and a pinch brightens almost anything you scatter it over.

Tahini

A smooth, nutty paste of ground sesame seeds. The pale, light-roast kind is the most common. It thickens dips, loosens into sauces, and turns up in sweets.

Mastic Gum

An aromatic resin with a piney, slightly bitter note that lends desserts their distinctive taste and pull. Look for it at Middle Eastern and Greek grocers.

Sahlab

Ground dried orchid tuber, used to thicken booza and warm milk drinks. It is difficult to find outside the region, so cornstarch loosened with orange blossom or rose water stands in well.

Dukkah & Za’atar

Two of the most beloved blends. Dukkah leans on ground nuts, sesame, and warm spices, while za’atar brings together wild thyme, sumac, sesame, and salt. Both shift from region to region, and a good pre-made blend is easy to come by.

Orange Blossom & Rose Water

Floral waters that perfume syrups, puddings, and drinks. Add them with a light hand, since a few drops carry a long way.

Rice

A daily staple across the table. Medium-grain rice suits these recipes best, as it holds together a touch more than long grain.

Shareeya

Fine vermicelli noodles, toasted in a little oil until golden and stirred through rice. Reach for the short wheat-flour kind, which crisps far better than rice-flour noodles.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The heart of the whole pantry. So many of these dishes are dressed with little more than oil, so it is worth buying the best you can find, the kind that tastes peppery, fruity, and a little sharp.