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Duqqa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Dukkah" redirects here. For the Buddhist concept, see Duḥkha.
Duqqa
TypeDip
CourseSide dish or hors d'œuvre
Place of originEgypt
Region or stateEgypt and Middle East
Main ingredientsHerbs, nuts (usually hazelnut), spices
  •   Media: Duqqa

Duqqa, dukka,[spelling 1] du'ah, do'a,[1] or dukkah (Arabic: دُقَّة, romanized: duqqa, Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [ˈdæʔʔæ], Hejazi Arabic pronunciation: [dʊgga]) is an Egyptian and Middle Eastern condiment consisting of a mixture of herbs, nuts (usually hazelnut), and spices. It is typically used as a dip with bread[2] or fresh vegetables for an hors d'œuvre.[3]

Pre-made versions of duqqa can be bought in the spice markets of Cairo, where they are sold in paper cones, with the simplest version being crushed mint, salt, and pepper.[4] The packaged variety that is found in markets is composed of parched wheat flour mixed with cumin and caraway.[5] In the Hejaz region, it has been part of the regional cuisine for decades.[citation needed]

Etymology

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The word is derived from the Arabic for 'to pound'[6][7] since the mixture of spices and nuts is pounded together after being dry-roasted to a texture that is neither powdered nor paste-like.

History

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Orientalist Edward William Lane's 1860 texts described dukkah as follows:[8][1]

A meal is often made by those who cannot afford luxuries of bread and a mixture called dukkah, which is commonly composed of salt and pepper with za’atar or wild marjoram or mint or cumin-seed, and with one or more, or all, of the following ingredients – namely, coriander seed, cinnamon, sesame, and hummus (or chick peas). Each mouthful of bread is dipped in this mixture"

In 1895, author Socrates Spiro described duqqa as "ground spices eaten with bread (by the poor) [sic]" in his Egyptian Arabic to English dictionary.[9]

Ingredients

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The actual composition of the spice mix can vary among families[1] and vendors, though there are common ingredients such as sesame, coriander, cumin, salt and black pepper. A report from 1978[10][11] indicates that even further ingredients can be used, such as nigella, millet flour and dried cheese. Some modern variants include pine nuts,[12] pumpkin seeds[13] or sunflower seeds.[14] Gazan duqqa typically contains dill seeds and chile flakes, both common ingredients in that region.[15]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Also spelled: dakka, dukkah, dukka

References

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  1. ^ a b c Roden, Claudia (2008). The New Book of Middle Eastern Food. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 55. ISBN 9780307558565. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  2. ^ Sortun, Ana (2013). Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean. HarperCollins. p. 6. ISBN 9780062336514. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  3. ^ Malouf, Greg and Lucy Malouf (1999). Artichoke to Za'atar: Modern Middle Eastern Food. University of California Press. p. 278. ISBN 9780520254138. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  4. ^ Davidson, Alan (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food (2014 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 269. ISBN 9780191040726. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  5. ^ Davidson, Alan (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food (2014 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 269. ISBN 9780191040726. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  6. ^ Green, Aliza (2015). The Magic of Spice Blends: A Guide to the Art, Science, and Lore of Combining Flavors. Quarry Books. p. 34. ISBN 9781631590740. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  7. ^ Marks, Gil (2010). Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 672 pages. ISBN 9780544186316. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  8. ^ Lane, Edward William (1908). The manners & customs of the modern Egyptians. London; New York: J.M. Dent & Co.; E.P. Dutton & Co. p. 137. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  9. ^ Spiro, Socrates (1895). An Arabic-English Vocabulary of the Colloquial Arabic of Egypt: Containing the Vernacular Idioms and Expressions, Slang Phrases, Etc., Etc., Used by the Native Egyptians (in Arabic). Al-Mokattam printing office. p. 275. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  10. ^ Davidson, Alan (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food (2014 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 269. ISBN 9780191040726. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  11. ^ Landry, Robert (1978). Guide culinaire des épices aromates et condiments. Verviers, Belgique: Marabout.
  12. ^ Zizka, Maria. "Cooking from the World Pantry: Dukkah". KCET. KCETLink Media Group. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  13. ^ Shulman, Martha Rose. "Pumpkin Seed Dukkah". New York Times: Cooking. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  14. ^ Ottolenghi, Yotam (3 June 2011). "Yotam Ottolenghi's butter bean purée with dukkah recipe". Guardian News and Media Limited. The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  15. ^ Tamimi, Sami (15 July 2025). Boustany: A Celebration of Vegetables from my Palestine [A Cookbook]. Random House. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-9848-6318-8. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
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