Three herbs from the Delta fields
Dill (Anethum graveolens), parsley (Petroselinum crispum) and celery (Apium graveolens) all belong to the Apiaceae family, alongside cumin, coriander and anise, and both their dried leaves and their seeds are used. Dill is known in Iraq and the Levant as shibint or shibith; parsley is ma'adnous in Iraq and the Gulf; celery is karafs almost everywhere in the Arab world. Egypt is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of these dried herbs, grown in Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya and Dakahlia and dried in solar and industrial dryers for markets in Europe and North America.
The ancient Egyptians knew both dill and celery (celery garlands have been found in pharaonic tombs) and the Babylonians recorded dill in their recipes, so these herbs are native to the region's cooking long before they became one of its key agricultural exports.
Types, varieties and origins
Dried dill
Dill's fine feathery leaves keep, after drying, a fresh green aroma with a faint anise note from carvone and limonene. Egyptian dill from the Delta and Upper Egypt is prized for its bright green colour and fine leaf, and is the best-known on world markets alongside Indian and Hungarian. It goes into dill rice, stuffed vegetables, fish and cucumber-yoghurt.
Dried parsley
Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley is the type dried commercially because its aroma is stronger than the curly kind, and Egypt is among the largest exporters. Good leaf is dark green with a light herbal, peppery flavour. It suits soups, sauces, minced-meat seasoning and kofta when fresh parsley is not to hand.
Dried celery
Leaf celery (cutting celery), not the stalk type, is dried for its distinctive salty-aromatic scent. It is the backbone of stock cubes, soup seasonings and pickling blends, and Iraqi cooks add it to lentil soup and tashreeb.
Celery seeds
Small brownish-green seeds of wild celery, usually Indian or French, with a strong, warm, bitter aroma. They go into celery salt, pickling spice, tomato sauces and burger seasonings.
Parsley seeds
Small grey ribbed seeds with a bitter aromatic taste, used mainly in folk infusions and in tiny amounts in cooking, and sold for sowing.
| Product | Common origin | Character | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dried dill | Egypt, India, Hungary | Fresh, lightly anise-like | Rice, stuffed vegetables, fish, yoghurt |
| Dried parsley | Egypt, Turkey, Germany | Herbal, lightly peppery | Soups, kofta, sauces |
| Dried celery | Egypt, China | Salty, strongly aromatic | Stocks, lentil soup, pickles |
| Celery seeds | India, France | Warm, bitter, pungent | Celery salt, pickles, sauces |
| Parsley seeds | Egypt, India | Bitter, aromatic | Infusions, sowing |
Quality standards and grades
These herbs are traded against ISO 10621 (dried parsley), the ESA and ASTA specifications for leafy herbs, and the Egyptian Standards for dried herbs issued by the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality; exported lots must also meet National Food Safety Authority limits on microbial contamination and pesticide residues. Price is driven largely by colour (measured with colour meters), stem content and cut size.
| Parameter | Dried leaves | Seeds |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture | ≤ 8–10 % | ≤ 10 % |
| Volatile oil | Dill ≥ 0.5 %, celery ≥ 0.3 % (typical) | Celery seed 1.5–3 %, dill seed 2–4 % |
| Total ash | ≤ 14 % (parsley ≤ 16 %) | ≤ 12 % |
| Acid-insoluble ash | ≤ 1.5 % | ≤ 3 % |
| Stems | ≤ 3 % for first grade | — |
| Extraneous matter | ≤ 0.5 % | ≤ 1 % |
| Cut size | 1–3 mm (fine cut) or 3–6 mm (leaf) | Whole seed |
By eye, a bright green colour signals fast drying at low temperature; yellowing or browning points to over-exposure to sun or age. By nose, the smell should be clean and green with no mustiness. By hand, the leaf should be brittle and crumble under pressure rather than bend, a sign of low moisture.
Leaf, cut and powder
Leafy herbs are sold as large "leaf" grade for households and restaurants, fine "cut" for factories and seasoning blends, and powder for stock cubes. The finer the grade, the faster the aroma fades, so choose leaf where you can. Celery seeds are ground with salt to make celery salt, and benefit from a light toasting before grinding. Industrial hot-air drying at 40–60 °C preserves colour better than direct sun drying.
Culinary uses
- Egypt: dill with rice, green broad beans, stuffed vegetables and bisara; parsley and celery in soups and kofta; dried celery in the meat stock for molokhia.
- Iraq: dill in timman bagilla (rice with broad beans and dill) and stews; celery in lentil soup and red marga.
- Levant: parsley in kibbeh and kofta (fresh in tabbouleh); dill in pickles and cucumber-yoghurt.
- Gulf: dill and parsley in machboos, margoog and grilled fish; celery seeds in Western-style restaurant rubs.
Dosage: one teaspoon of dried herb equals one tablespoon of fresh. Add dried dill mid-way through cooking, parsley at the end and celery from the start with the stock. Celery seed is potent: half a teaspoon per kilogram is enough.
Storage and shelf life
Dried green herbs are more light-sensitive than dry spices, so keep them in opaque airtight packs in a cool place. Leaves hold their best quality for 9–12 months, whole seeds for 24 months. The tell-tale sign of decline is colour fading to grey-olive.
Traditional and health benefits
Dill was traditionally used to soothe infant colic and aid digestion; parsley as a gentle natural diuretic and a rich source of vitamin C, carotenoids and iron; celery seed in classical Arab medicine for joints and gout, and modern research has examined its flavonoid compounds. The literature notes that parsley and celery seeds in large amounts may be unsuitable in pregnancy, so use is limited to culinary quantities.
The Sheikh Al-Attareen range
- Dried Dill
- Dried Parsley
- Dried Celery
- Celery Seeds
- Parsley Seeds
We buy our leafy herbs directly from Delta and Fayoum farms, selecting lots with the brightest green colour, and import seeds from approved Indian and European sources. Our Mansoura laboratory checks moisture, colour, stem content and foreign matter before the herbs are screened and packed in opaque packs. Available in our Egypt, Iraq and Syria branches and through the online store.
Frequently asked questions
Are dried herbs an acceptable substitute for fresh?
Yes in cooked dishes, soups and marinades; in raw salads such as tabbouleh, fresh cannot be replaced.
Why is some dried dill pale?
Direct sun drying or storage in light breaks down chlorophyll. We avoid this by selecting industrially dried lots and packing in opaque packs.
What is the difference between celery salt and celery seeds?
Celery salt is ground celery seed blended with salt at roughly 1:2; the seeds are sold whole and used in smaller amounts.
Are parsley seeds for cooking or sowing?
Mostly for sowing and folk infusions; they are bitter and used in cooking only in tiny quantities.