Flavored and seasoned nuts such as smoked almonds or herbed cashews are so delicious. They’re easily found in every supermarket in the U.S. now and the options of flavors and varieties keep expanding year on year. In the Middle East, cashews, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios are very popular and feature in many recipes. Whether it’s incorporated into desserts, or whether garnishing meat-based tagines and rice dishes, nuts are found in both savory and sweet dishes Middle Eastern cuisine. 

Owing to the cost of nuts, particularly in the 19th and early 20th century, nuts are seen as a decadent and rich man’s ingredient, thereby the connotation of nuts in a dish or when served or offered as a gift carries with it many connotations. 

Today, nuts are roasted and sold in abundance by high end gourmet boutiques that cater to a clientele with a considerable appreciation for high-quality nuts. These nuts, which can be bought simply salted, or roasted and seasoned with spices, are great accompaniments to apero drinks and as amuse bouches before a dinner. The one downside to buying seasoned nuts from a store is that you can’t be sure of how much oil, preservatives and additives have been added. It’s easy enough to make seasoned nuts at home, it just requires good quality nuts and good quality spices and a dose of creativity! 

We use Dukkan’s spices to season our nuts and make fresh batches of flavorful snacks whenever we’re expecting to receive visitors or when the mood strikes us. These are also great for when you’re home watching the game and want a more sophisticated snack during your TV viewing.  This recipe is a base recipe for the method of creating seasoned spices, so experiment with your choice of nuts (you can even combine a few together for variety) and the spices to come up with your favorite flavors.