Mahleb
{{short description|Spice made from cherry pits}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Mahleb
| image = Prma 002 shp (Prunus mahaleb).jpg
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| caption = Whole stones; the seeds are inside
| alternate_name = Mahlepi
| type = Spice
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| region = Middle East
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| main_ingredient = Cherry seeds
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| serving_size = 100 g
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Mahleb or mahlepi is an aromatic spice made from the seeds of a species of cherry, Prunus mahaleb (the Mahaleb or St Lucie cherry). The cherry stones are cracked to extract the seed kernel, which is about 5 mm diameter, soft and chewy on extraction. The seed kernel is ground to a powder before use. Its flavour is similar to a combination of bitter almond and cherry,{{Citation |editor-first=Barbara |editor-last=Levitt |date=November 2008 |title=Edible: An Illustrated Guide to the World's Food Plants |publisher=National Geographic Society |isbn=978-1-4262-0372-5 |page=294 |id={{Google books|HORIzBx17DYC|Preview|page=294}}}} and also similar to marzipan.{{cite news |last=Reuter |first=Christoph |title=Mini-Republics: A Syrian Village Seeks to Survive amid Carnage |publisher=Der Spiegel |date=2016-01-13 |url= http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/a-village-in-syria-seeks-survival-amid-warfare-a-1070742.html |access-date=2016-03-08}}
Mahleb is used in small quantities to sharpen sweet foods and cakes, and is used in production of tresse cheese.
It has been used for centuries in the Middle East and the surrounding areas as a flavoring for baked goods. Recipes calling for the fruit or seed of the "ḫalub" date back to ancient Sumer.Gadotti, A. (2014). Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld and the Sumerian Gilgamesh Cycle. De Gruyter. {{ISBN|161451545X}}. In recent decades, it has been slowly entering mainstream cookbooks in English.{{Citation |editor-first=Norma |editor-last=MacMillan |date=October 2010 |title=The Illustrated Cook's Book of Ingredients |edition=1st American |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |isbn=978-0-7566-6730-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K3_LJUK9ywwC&pg=PA354|page=354}}
In Greek cuisine, mahlep is sometimes added to different types of holiday breads and cakes, such as christopsomo (gr: χριστόψωμο) in Christmas, vasilopita in New Year's day, and the braided tsoureki in Easter (called cheoreg in Armenian and paskalya çöreği in Turkish).{{Cite book| publisher = Oxford University Press| isbn = 978-0-19-931362-4| title = The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets| date = 2015-04-01|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XPNgBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT207}}
In Turkey, it is used in poğaça scones and other pastries. In the Arabic Middle East, it is used in ma'amoul scones. In Egypt, powdered mahlab is made into a paste with honey, sesame seeds and nuts, eaten as a dessert or a snack with bread.
In English, mahleb is sometimes alternately spelled as mahalab, mahlep, mahaleb, etc.