Hawaij facts for kids
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| Type | Spice |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Yemen |
| Main ingredients | Cumin, black pepper, turmeric, and cardamom |
Hawaij (Arabic: حوايج, Hebrew: חוויג'/חוואיג') is a special blend of ground spices from Yemen. You might also see it spelled hawayej or hawayij. The name simply means "mixture" in Arabic. People use different kinds of Hawaij for different things, mainly for yummy soups and traditional Yemeni coffee.
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What is Hawaij?
This spice mix is super popular in Yemen. It's like a secret ingredient that makes food and drinks taste amazing! There are two main types of Hawaij. One is for savory dishes like soups and stews. The other is for coffee and sweet treats.
Hawaij for Soups and Savory Dishes
The most common Hawaij mix for savory foods is made from four main spices:
This basic mix is used in many dishes. It adds a wonderful flavor to stews and even curry-style dishes. You can also find it in rice and vegetable meals. Some people even use it as a special rub for barbecued meats.
Sometimes, more spices are added to this mix. These can include ground cloves, caraway, nutmeg, saffron, coriander, fenugreek, and even ground dried onions. In a city called Aden in Yemen, their special soup Hawaij has cumin, black pepper, cardamom, and coriander.
Hawaij for Coffee and Sweets
There's a different Hawaij mix just for coffee. This blend usually includes:
While it's mostly used to brew delicious coffee, this sweet Hawaij also finds its way into other foods. You can find it in desserts, cakes, and even some slow-cooked meat dishes. In Aden, their coffee mix uses ginger, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon for black coffee. If they use it for tea, they leave out the ginger.
Hawaij in Israel
Hawaij became very popular in Israel. Many Yemenite Jews, who moved to Israel from Yemen, brought their amazing cooking traditions with them. Because of them, Hawaij is now a common spice in Israeli cuisine.
