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Turkish OttomanMint “Kofta” Salt

My favorite city in the world is Istanbul—electric, pulsing with the history and vibrations of countless cultural uprisings: Anatolians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, Ottomans. This salt—despite its opulence—reminds us that uprisers must eat. And no one does herbs and spice more luxuriously than the Turkish people. For them, it was never about wealth. Herbs and spices meant survival, flavor, healing. Foraged in famine, layered in stews, passed through mothers hands. A cuisine of power built from the ground up. This herbaceous salt is a modern take on all flavors past: spicy, potent, sharp, grassy, green. Bright sumac—the poor man’s spice— overflows. Parsley, mint, cilantro, oregano—forward and grounded—speckled with citrusy woods: lemon thyme, bay, tangy sorrel. Ottoman spices swirl like smoke, evoking the Grand
Bazaar that feeds everyone. Based on centuries-old blends, modernized for the herbal kitchen— this is total opulence for the commoner. It suits the sultans, but it belongs to the people. Much like Istanbul’s Nicole, my favorite restaurant in the world. This is your kebab salt. Your lamb, black lentil, tomato salad, smoked octopus salt. This is how anything becomes Ottoman. While yesterday was long ago, it was always about tomorrow.

Those citrus blossoms from @mediumfarm ; I’ve been air drying them and now I’m going to grind them up into a heavenly fairy dust powder. Part I’m going to mix with epson salt for my bath and the other part use around the kitchen in my general magic.

I love when my ideas work - the smell is intact and potent!!

True story: I once bought an old oud at a flea market in Jerusalem and brought it back to the U.S. for a then-lover. It smelled like the perfume of the Middle East. I loved how intoxicating that smell was. He loved it—and me—for the sultry gesture.

That story—and so many others—are reflected in this season’s herbal salts: My Arab Spring, The Awakening Collection.

This collection is rooted in my Middle Eastern origin story—beginning in Israel when I was 29 - then stretching into my 50’s into Jordan, Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt, and Cyprus. It’s built from those travels, many of them deeply intertwined with herb work and herb people—who handed me the generosity of their wisdom, the herbaceous and life-kind—especially their fire. My boldness has been peppered by my time in the Middle East

The wisdom and strength of the Middle Eastern people—their resilience—is like spring itself. This collection celebrates that power, that need to rise up, to revolt, to speak out. Like spring, they burst forth from the dirt—because awakening has only one direction: up…… forward.

These salts are deeply personal—fiery, fresh, and rooted in history, religion, politics, economics, trade annd commerce and above all openness of perspective and protectiveness of my own creativity and vision

This is My Arab Spring—the flavor of resilience and revolt. Taste it now.

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Limited as always.

See story for more details.

This is my first work sans my helper Inca. He is deeply missed and yet visibly present in this collection. Don’t worry I didn’t put his ashes in. Lol.

Im addicted to making a cocktail cube on every collection. Super limited because these are intricate to make.

#Jasmine if you’re lucky enough like most Northern Californians, to have this thriving in your yard or on a hiking path- USE IT!

I love using it in sweet and savory forms. I usually air dry the flowers and the flower beds (those have extra potent flavor) by laying flat in a large bowl where these is good air circulation. It takes about a week. I sometimes finish them in the oven 200 degrees on a cookie sheet for about 10 min.

One of my favorite things is make is jasmine sugar - I love adding cardamom and mahlab to mine. I use this for baking, cocktails, mint tea and so on. Using this one for a rhubarb and blueberry coffee cake.

The lavender rhubarb jam (that’s in one of the salts) turned into a little gin thing. Chamomile for a sweet nose tickle.

Spring 2025
My Arab Spring: The Awakening Collection
Awakening | Pulse | Vitality | Emergence | Commons | Audacious | Unyielding

May 1st at www.Shop.Herbal-Roots.com

It’s #RedBud season and I’m lucky to be heading to MO this week- I’m gonna shove my suitcase full of them to bring back to California.

If you’re lucky enough to have them around, USE them.

They taste like floral sweet peas,,,, they freeze well too.

🌸🌺🌿

The Spring 2025 Herbal Roots Herbal Salt Collection (which has been percolating inside of me as the world wakes from a winter slumber) is now in motion and I promise it will be revolutionary!!

The collection will debut May 1st.

A little spring dinner happening here this is a Fava , wild arugula, mint goat cheese spread. A flowery cheese (I can’t remember what kind) green olives and sourdough toast. Little wild violets for decor. Thank @mediumfarm for all the herbs…… 🌿

Tomorrow I’m in a contest. A #ChiliCookoff - I’m not a newbie in contests - and I never play it safe- I always go for herbal and what might appears weird - my #HerbalForeplay smoked meat technique is making its way into what will be a Woodfired Tropical Pork Chili Verde (Nissa style). Plus I’m making a bonus hot sauce (Funky and Smoky Mango Chikhuacle Negro Hot Sauce and some #mangocrema

The chilhuacle negro pepper is an ancient, fruity chili that’s a. dark chocolate brown purple color. It’s used is Oaxacan moles. I’m adding guajillo chilies for heat and the mango coconut to tame.

Minty Shish Tawook pita sandwich with herbalized fixins’

Herbal Roots © 2016 - 2025 by Nissa Pierson on Behalf of Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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