Khmeli suneli
Also known as khmeli-suneli, hmeli suneli, Georgian spice mix
Quick answer
The Georgian household blend, and one where two of the components — blue fenugreek and dried marigold — are grown almost nowhere else. A jar made without them is a mixed herb blend rather than khmeli suneli.
In essentially every version: Blue fenugreek (utskho suneli), Coriander seed, Dried marigold (Imeretian saffron), Summer savory (kondari), Dried basil, Dried dill, Bay leaf.
2distinct versions are recorded below. None of them is presented as the correct one, because there isn’t one.
What goes in it
The defining core first, then the versions. Roles are recorded so it is clear what each ingredient is doing.
| Ingredient | Role | How essential |
|---|---|---|
| Blue fenugreek (ground)The component that most decides whether a blend is khmeli suneli or a bag of dried herbs. It is a different species from common fenugreek — Trigonella caerulea rather than T. foenum-graecum — ground from the whole plant, and much milder as a result. | primary aromatic | defining |
| Coriander seed (ground)Usually the largest single component by volume. | base | defining |
| Marigold (ground)For the yellow. It is a Tagetes petal and not a saffron of any kind, and the Georgian name is a colour comparison rather than a claim. | colour | defining |
| Savory (leaf) | supporting aromatic | defining |
| Basil (leaf)Dried rather than fresh, deliberately. This is one of the few blends where dried basil is the correct ingredient rather than a compromise, because what it contributes here is a background rather than a lift. | supporting aromatic | usual |
| Dill (leaf) | supporting aromatic | usual |
| Bay leaf (ground) | supporting aromatic | usual |
| Mint (leaf) | supporting aromatic | regional |
| Parsley (leaf) | bulking | optional |
| Chilli powder (ground)A small proportion where present, and absent from many household versions. Georgian food is aromatic rather than hot, and heat usually arrives as a separate condiment on the table. | heat | optional |
High, and household-level rather than regional. Khmeli suneli is a made-at-home mixture with no canonical formula, and lists ranging from five components to a dozen are all defensible. What is not variable is the presence of blue fenugreek and marigold: a blend without those two is missing what makes it Georgian rather than merely herbal, and the versions sold outside Georgia frequently omit both because neither is easy to source. That omission is the single most consequential difference between a jar bought in London and one made in Tbilisi.
The versions
Each attributed, with how firm its proportions are stated plainly.
Full household blend
household traditionalCommon Georgian household composition · proportions representative · medium confidence
The longer list, with blue fenugreek and marigold present and the herb fraction dominant. Proportions vary by family; these are representative rather than documented.
| Ingredient | Parts | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coriander seed | 4 | 30% |
| Blue fenugreek | 2 | 15% |
| Summer savory | 2 | 15% |
| Dried marigold | 2 | 15% |
| Dried basil | 1 | 8% |
| Dried dill | 1 | 8% |
| Bay leaf | 0.25–0.5 | 3% |
| Dried mint | 0.5–1 | 6% |
Georgian households do not measure this and no two make it alike. The ratio is offered as a starting point with the coriander leading, which is the one thing most versions agree on.
Export and Western retail
commercial typicalTypical composition of blends sold outside Georgia · proportions reconstructed · low confidence
Blue fenugreek and marigold replaced or omitted, usually because neither is available. What is left is a coriander-and-mixed-herb blend that is perfectly pleasant and is not the same thing.
| Ingredient | Parts | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coriander seed | 4 | 39% |
| Common fenugreek | 1 | 10% |
| Summer savory | 2 | 19% |
| Dried basil | 2 | 19% |
| Dried parsley | 1 | 10% |
| Turmeric | 0.25–0.5 | 4% |
Recorded at low confidence. Commercial blends do not publish proportions, and this is a reconstruction from ingredient lists rather than a formula.
Using it
Stirred into the liquid rather than bloomed in fat, which is the opposite of South Asian practice and follows from the blend being herb-led: there is very little here that benefits from hot oil and a good deal that scorches in it. It goes in generously — a tablespoon to a dish rather than a teaspoon — because the components are individually mild.
Herbal and aromatic rather than hot or sweet: coriander leading, a warm nutty sweetness from the blue fenugreek, a peppery edge from the savory, and a yellow colour from the marigold that arrives before any of it. It is closer in register to a bouquet garni than to a garam masala, which surprises people who expect a Caucasian blend to be assertive.
Little or none. Heat in Georgian food is a condiment rather than an ingredient, and most household versions of this blend contain no chilli at all.
- Walnut sauces such as satsivi
- Kharcho and other soups
- Bean dishes such as lobio
- Chicken and lamb
- Aubergine rolls with walnut paste
Scaling: Scales linearly, with one caveat: the marigold is doing colour work and the perception of colour does not scale the way flavour does. Doubling a batch and doubling the marigold gives a noticeably more yellow result than expected, and holding the marigold at around 1.5 times is usually closer to what a cook wants.
Storage
Good for: 4–9 months (typically 6 months)
Cool, dark, dry and closed, and made in small batches.
A faded blend is a quality matter. Kept dry it does not become unsafe.
Allergens and safety
Not among the substances that must be declared as allergens under EU Regulation 1169/2011 Annex II or under the United States major food allergen rules. That is a statement about labelling law and not about whether allergy occurs: allergic reactions to spices are documented in the clinical literature and are simply not a labelling category. Where a ground spice presents an allergen risk it is usually through adulteration or shared processing equipment rather than through the plant itself.
Culture and origin
Georgia, where the name means simply "dried spices" and where the blend is made at home rather than bought. It is a herb-led rather than a chilli- or seed-led mixture, which places it apart from the Persian and Turkish traditions on either side of it.
Georgia
Khmeli suneli is a standing household blend in the way garam masala is in North India: made in batches, kept in a jar, and reached for by default. It seasons satsivi, kharcho, lobio and the walnut sauces that run through the cuisine, and Georgian cooking uses it as a unit rather than reaching for its components individually.
The former Soviet space
Georgian food travelled widely within the Soviet Union and khmeli suneli travelled with it, appearing in Russian, Ukrainian and Central Asian cooking well beyond any Georgian dish. Much of what is sold under the name across the region is made in Russia and reflects that route rather than a Georgian one.