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Breakfast

Fried Eggs with Sumac (Bayd Maqli bi Summaq)

sjfegan

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4
Servings

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 3 tbsp ghee or butter
  • 1 tsp ground sumac
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method

  1. Heat the ghee or butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
  2. Crack the eggs into the pan and fry to preference, about 3–4 minutes for a soft yolk.
  3. Season with salt and dust generously with sumac.
  4. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving hot.

Introduction: Eggs fried simply and dusted with tangy sumac, a bright and flavourful breakfast reflecting Abbasid cooking’s sophisticated use of souring spices.

Cultural Background: Sumac held a valued place in Abbasid cuisine as a tart, tangy seasoning, its use reflecting the era’s refined approach to balancing flavours, documented extensively in surviving culinary texts from the period.

Tips: Use a generous amount of sumac, as its tangy character is central to the dish. Cook the eggs gently for the softest, most tender result.

Variations: Serve with warm flatbread for a complete breakfast. Add a pinch of cumin alongside the sumac for extra depth.

Storage: Best eaten fresh; not well suited to storing.

Reheating: Reheating is not recommended, as the texture suffers; best made fresh.

Nutrition: Per serving (approx., 1 egg): 130 kcal, 7 g protein, 11 g fat, 1 g carbohydrate.

FAQs:

Q: What is sumac?

A: A tangy, tart ground spice made from dried sumac berries, valued across Abbasid and wider Middle Eastern cuisine for its bright, sour flavour.

Q: Was this a documented dish in Abbasid cookbooks?

A: Simple fried egg dishes seasoned with sumac and other spices reflect the kind of everyday, well-seasoned cooking recorded in surviving Abbasid culinary texts.

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