mahaleb

[mah-huh-leb]

noun

1. a cherry, Prunus mahaleb, introduced into the U.S. from Eurasia, used as a stock in grafting cherries.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mahaleb¹

First recorded in 1550–60, mahaleb is from the Arabic word maḥlab

Example Sentences

She made a honey syrup spiked with all the classic ashure flavorings, including cinnamon, cardamom and a spice called mahaleb.

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My biggest concern was the mahaleb; I’d never heard of it before, and worried I wouldn’t be able to find any.

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Happily, I found mahaleb, rife with the same haunting, almondy aroma as noyaux, at my local Middle Eastern grocer.

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For the plum on loamy soils the plum, and on chalky and light soils the almond, are the most desirable stocks, and for the cherry on loamy or light rich soils the wild cherry, and on chalk the “mahaleb” stock.

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Most varieties will do well upon the Mahaleb stock, which is used as a means of dwarfing this fruit, though not a dwarf.

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