Xawaash
Also known as xawaash spice, Somali spice mix, Somali xawaash
Dry spice blend
Quick answer
The Somali all-purpose spice blend of cumin, coriander, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and turmeric, toasted before grinding. It seasons rice, meat and the Somali pasta sauce, and its name is the same word as Yemeni hawaij written in Somali spelling.
In essentially every version: Cumin, Coriander seed, Black pepper, Green cardamom, Cinnamon or cassia bark, Cloves, Turmeric.
2 distinct versions are set out 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, with what each ingredient is there to do.
| Ingredient | Role | How essential |
|---|---|---|
| Cumin (whole) | base | defining |
| Coriander seed (whole) | base | defining |
| Black pepper (whole) | heat | defining |
| Green cardamom (pod) | primary aromatic | defining |
| Cinnamon (Ceylon) (stick / quill) | supporting aromatic | defining |
| Cloves (whole) | supporting aromatic | defining |
| Turmeric (ground) | colour | usual |
Moderate. The seven core spices appear in nearly every version; households shift the weight between cumin and coriander and vary the cardamom. Turmeric is added after grinding in some households and left out in others. Diaspora versions — Somali communities in Minneapolis, London and Nairobi are large — sometimes add nutmeg or fenugreek.
The versions
Each attributed, with how firm its proportions are stated plainly.
Toasted household blend
Household traditionSomali household practice · proportions representative · medium confidence
Whole spices dry-toasted until fragrant, cooled and ground together, with turmeric stirred in afterwards. Proportions are representative.
| Ingredient | Parts | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cumin | 4 | 38% |
| Coriander seed | 3 | 28% |
| Black pepper | 1 | 9% |
| Green cardamom | 0.5–1 | 7% |
| Cinnamon or cassia bark | 0.5–1 | 7% |
| Cloves | 0.25–0.5 | 4% |
| Turmeric | 0.5–1 | 7% |
Without turmeric
Household traditionHouseholds and commercial packets that omit it · proportions representative · low confidence
The same toasted seed-and-bark blend without turmeric, giving a browner powder and a slightly warmer, less earthy flavour.
| Ingredient | Parts | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cumin | 4 | 39% |
| Coriander seed | 3 | 29% |
| Black pepper | 1 | 10% |
| Green cardamom | 1 | 10% |
| Cinnamon or cassia bark | 1 | 10% |
| Cloves | 0.25–0.5 | 4% |
Using it
Fried with onion at the start of a dish or stirred into rice as it cooks. It seasons the Somali pasta sauce that entered the cuisine during the Italian colonial period, which is one of the clearest examples anywhere of a local spice blend absorbing a foreign dish rather than the other way round.
Toasty and warm: cumin and coriander in front, cardamom and cinnamon giving a sweet-aromatic lift, pepper and clove at the back. Warmer and more rounded than hawaij for soup, and without its sharp turmeric-and-pepper edge.
Mild; the heat is black pepper. Chilli in Somali food usually comes from a separate sauce.
- Bariis (spiced Somali rice)
- Suqaar (fried diced meat)
- Somali pasta sauce (suugo)
- Goat and lamb
- Lentils and beans
Scaling: Scales linearly. Toast in batches no larger than a pan can hold in a single layer, or the seeds steam rather than toast.
What to use it on
Rice
ClassicBariis, Somali spiced rice, is cooked with xawaash, and the toasted cumin, cardamom and cinnamon perfume the grain as it absorbs the stock.
How: Bariis iskukaris
Goat
StrongGoat and lamb are the everyday meats of Somali cooking, and suqaar and slow-cooked goat are seasoned with xawaash; its warm spice suits the stronger flavour of goat.
How: Suqaar; Slow-cooked goat with rice
If you have none
Hawaij
AcceptableHawaij for soup shares the name and much of the composition, but it is turmeric- and pepper-forward and untoasted, so rice and meat come out sharper and yellower and without xawaash’s toasty warmth. Hawaij for coffee is a different blend entirely and must not be used.
| Flavour | Aroma | Colour | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| partial | partial | close | more |
Works for
- Soups and stews
- Meat
Does not work for
- Bariis, where the toasted aroma is the point
- Anything, if the hawaij on hand is the coffee blend
Cuisine: Moves a Somali dish towards Yemeni flavour.
Storage
Good for: 4–9 months (typically 6 months)
Cool, dark, dry and closed.
A stale 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
Somalia and the Somali regions of Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti. The name is the Arabic hawaij ("necessities") in Somali orthography, and the blend reflects centuries of trade across the Gulf of Aden with Yemen and the Indian Ocean coast.
Somali households, in Somalia and the diaspora
Among the Somali.
The standing blend of the Somali kitchen, used in rice and meat dishes at almost every meal, and one of the markers diaspora communities keep. Bariis iskukaris — rice cooked with xawaash, meat and often raisins — is the dish most associated with it.