Authentic Middle-Eastern ingredients, blended in small batches in Sydney, designed to help you turn any meal into a special feast

In the centre of Istanbul’s Sultanamet Square, just near the Topkapi Palace, you will see rows of Köfte sellers claiming to be “the original, “the historical”, and “the traditional”. The best, first, and original doesn’t display any of those adjectives. Since 1920, Selim Usta (Selim the master) has made Köfte from spiced beef, served with bean and onion salad.

Cumin, dried oregano, dried parsley, pimento, black pepper, coriander, and paprika.

How to use this spice:

Add 3tbsp (45g) Köfte spices, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 chopped onion, 1 clove garlic and salt to taste, to 500g beef mince, and knead for 5 minutes. Then shape into meatballs or skewers and barbecue or panfry with a touch of oil.

Other ways to use it:

Rub onto steak before grilling
Turn into tasty meatballs and grill, panfry, or bake.
Mix in with beef mince and sauté with onions and tomatoes.