Sahawiq

Sahawiq

Green sahawiq
Alternative names	Harif, mabooj, zhug, sahowqa, schugg, skhug
Type	Condiment
Place of origin	Yemen
Main ingredients	Hot peppers, garlic, coriander
Variations	Red sahawiq, green sahawiq, brown sahawiq
Media: Sahawiq

Sahawiq (Yemeni Arabic: سَحاوِق, IPA: [saħaːwiq]^[1]), zhoug or zhug (from Judeo-Yemenite Arabic سحوق or זחוק IPA: [zħuːq] through Hebrew: סְחוּג, romanized: skhug),^[2] is a hot sauce originating in Yemeni cuisine. In other countries of the Arabian Peninsula it is also called mabooj (Arabic: معبوج).^[3]

Etymology and pronunciation

The word sahawiq [saħaːwiq] comes from the Arabic root (s-ḥ-q) which means to pestle or to crush. Formally, it is a plural form.

The Hebrew word is pronounced [sχug], and not [ʒug] as the English spelling zhug might suggest.

Varieties

Varieties in Yemen include sahawiq akhdar (green sahawiq), sahawiq ahmar (red sahawiq), and sahawiq bel-jiben (sahawiq with cheese, usually Yemeni cheese).^[4] Sahawiq is one of the main ingredients of saltah.^[5] Wazif (traditional Yemeni dried baby sardines) is sometimes added to the sahawiq's ingredients and it is known as sahawiq wazif (Arabic: سحاوق وزف).^[6]

In Israel, one can find skhug adom ("red zhug"), skhug yarok ("green zhug") and skhug khum ("brown zhug"), which has added tomatoes.^{[citation needed]} Red zhug is made with red peppers while green zhug is made with green peppers, or jalapeños.^[7] Zhug may be referred to by the generic term harif (Hebrew: חריף; lit. "hot/spicy"). Also known as zhoug,^[8][9][10] it is a popular condiment at Israeli falafel and shawarma stands, and served with hummus.^[11]

Preparation

Sahawiq is made from fresh red or green hot peppers (like bird's eye chillies or, less traditionally, jalapeños^[12]) seasoned with coriander, garlic, salt, black cumin (optional) and parsley, and then mixed with olive oil.^[13][14][15] Some also add lemon juice,^[12] caraway seed, cardamom, and black pepper.

Traditional Yemeni cooks prepare sahawiq using two stones: a large stone called marha' (مرهى) used as a work surface and a smaller one called wdi (ودي) for crushing the ingredients. Alternative options are a mortar and pestle or a food processor.^[16] Yemenis sometimes add Pulicaria jaubertii.^[17]

• 
  Red, green, and smoked zhug
• 
  Skhug and its ingredients
• 
  Jachnun served alongside boiled eggs, grated tomatoes, and zhug

See also

• Ajika, a hot dip in Caucasian cuisine
• Harissa, a hot chili pepper paste in Maghreb cuisine
• Muhammara or acuka, a hot pepper dip in Levantine cuisine
• Pesto, a sauce made with crushed herbs and garlic in Italian cuisine
• Arab cuisine
• Cuisine of the Mizrahi Jews
• List of dips
• List of sauces

References

1. Hamilton, Gabrielle (16 October 2019). "This Knockout Spicy Sauce From Yemen Will Improve Almost Any Dish". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
2. "זחוק". www.yadmeir.co.il. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
3. الكندري, وفاء (9 March 2014). "المعبوج الاخضر". fatafeat.
4. Various Yemeni Sahawiq varieties
5. Fury, Dalton (13 May 2014). Full Assault Mode: A Delta Force Novel. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-4668-3585-6.
6. "طريقة عمل سحاوق الوزف". اكلات يمنية (in Arabic). 7 April 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
7. "How to make schug, a Mediterranean hot sauce". From the Grapevine. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
8. Ferguson, Gillian (4 October 2017). "What's up with all the zhoug at restaurants around town". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
9. "Where to get Auckland's best globally-influenced breakfasts". New Zealand Herald. 21 October 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
10. Ottolenghi, Yotam; Tamimi, Sami (2012). Jerusalem: A Cookbook. Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony. p. 301. ISBN 9781607743958.
11. Red Skhug: A recipe and a story
12. "Spicy Skhug Sauce (Zhug, Shug or Zhoug)". 16 September 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
13. Goldstein, Nili (6 April 2006). "PASSOVER: Yemenite Flavor at the Seder". Tribe Media. Jewish Journal. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
14. Kremezi, Aglaia (21 June 2010). "Recipe: Zhug (Yemeni Hot Sauce)". The Atlantic. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
15. Grayson, Michele. "Spicy Starters: Balanced Heat in Appetizers Rouses Palates, Titillates Taste Buds and Enhances the Dining Experience, especially when Paired with the Right Beverages." Jobson's Cheers, vol. 18, no. 4, 2007, pp. 48.
16. "Janna Gur brings you the taste of Israel: Zhug". Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
17. ""السحاوق" . . طبق يمني يشتهيه الفقراء والأغنياء - البيان". www.albayan.ae (in Arabic). 30 July 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2020.