Ouzi Spice

Ouzi Spice is the seasoning behind Ouzi (Quzi), the rich rice-and-lamb dish eaten across Iraq, the Gulf and the surrounding region. It smells warm and layered, cardamom and cinnamon first, then the darker note of cloves, with white pepper giving a mild sharpness at the back rather than the front.

At its core it takes seven spice, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and white pepper. Seven spice provides the familiar Levantine base, bay leaf adds herbal depth and cloves a bold, aromatic intensity.

How to use it

Ouzi Spice is used most famously in Ouzi or Quzi, made with lamb, rice, roasted nuts and sometimes raisins, and it is equally good on rice dishes, roasted meats, stews and slow-cooked preparations. Use around two tablespoons for a kilo of lamb. The technique tip: season the meat and the rice separately rather than only the meat, using about a teaspoon per cup of dry rice, so the grains carry the aroma too. Fry the rice portion in the fat for a minute before the liquid goes in and the cardamom lifts noticeably.

Details

Also known as

Quzi Spice, قوزي, Ouzi Seasoning