Duqqa
Egyptian condiment
title: "Duqqa" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["arab-cuisine", "dips-(food)", "egyptian-cuisine", "palestinian-cuisine", "saudi-arabian-cuisine", "condiments", "herb-and-spice-mixtures", "middle-eastern-cuisine"] description: "Egyptian condiment" topic_path: "geography/egypt" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duqqa" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Egyptian condiment ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox food"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Duqqa |
| image | Du'ah (dukkah) - Egyptian spice mix.JPG |
| image_size | 250px |
| country | Egypt |
| region | Egypt and Middle East |
| course | Side dish or hors d'œuvre |
| type | Dip |
| main_ingredient | Herbs, nuts (usually hazelnut), spices |
| :: |
| name = Duqqa | alternate_name = | image = Du'ah (dukkah) - Egyptian spice mix.JPG | image_size = 250px | caption = | country = Egypt | region = Egypt and Middle East | creator = | course = Side dish or hors d'œuvre | type = Dip | served = | main_ingredient = Herbs, nuts (usually hazelnut), spices | variations = | calories = | other =
Duqqa, dukka,Also spelled: dakka, dukkah, dukka du'ah, do'a, or dukkah (, , ) is an Egyptian and Middle Eastern condiment consisting of a mixture of herbs, nuts (usually hazelnut), and spices. It is typically used as a dip with bread or fresh vegetables for an hors d'œuvre.
Pre-made versions of duqqa can be bought in the spice markets of Cairo, where they are sold in paper cones, with the simplest version being crushed mint, salt, and pepper. The packaged variety that is found in markets is composed of parched wheat flour mixed with cumin and caraway. In the Hejaz region, it has been part of the regional cuisine for decades.
Etymology
The word is derived from the Arabic for 'to pound' since the mixture of spices and nuts is pounded together after being dry-roasted to a texture that is neither powdered nor paste-like.
History
In 1895, author Socrates Spiro described duqqa as "ground spices eaten with bread (by the poor)" in his Egyptian Arabic to English dictionary.
Ingredients
The actual composition of the spice mix can vary among families and vendors, though there are common ingredients such as sesame, coriander, cumin, salt and black pepper. Reference to a 19th-century text lists marjoram, mint, za'atar and chickpeas as further ingredients that can be used in the mixture. A report from 1978 indicates that even further ingredients can be used, such as nigella, millet flour and dried cheese. Some modern variants include pine nuts, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. Gazan duqqa typically contains dill seeds and chile flakes, both common ingredients in that region.
Notes
References
References
- (2008). "The New Book of Middle Eastern Food". Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
- (2013). "Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean". [[HarperCollins]].
- (1999). "Artichoke to Za'atar: Modern Middle Eastern Food". University of California Press.
- (1999). "The Oxford Companion to Food". Oxford University Press.
- (1999). "The Oxford Companion to Food". Oxford University Press.
- (2015). "The Magic of Spice Blends: A Guide to the Art, Science, and Lore of Combining Flavors". Quarry Books.
- (2010). "Encyclopedia of Jewish Food". Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
- (1895). "An Arabic-English Vocabulary of the Colloquial Arabic of Egypt: Containing the Vernacular Idioms and Expressions, Slang Phrases, Etc., Etc., Used by the Native Egyptians". Al-Mokattam printing office.
- (2008). "The New Book of Middle Eastern Food". Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
- (1908). "The manners & customs of the modern Egyptians". J.M. Dent & Co.; E.P. Dutton & Co.
- (1999). "The Oxford Companion to Food". Oxford University Press.
- (1978). "Guide culinaire des épices aromates et condiments". Marabout.
- "Cooking from the World Pantry: Dukkah". KCETLink Media Group.
- "Pumpkin Seed Dukkah". [[The New York Times.
- (3 June 2011). "Yotam Ottolenghi's butter bean purée with dukkah recipe". Guardian News and Media Limited.
- (15 July 2025). "Boustany: A Celebration of Vegetables from my Palestine [A Cookbook]". Random House.
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