That’s where the word masala snuck in. It means “a blend of spices” in Hindi, Urdu, and many other South Asian tongues. But here’s the twist: the blend wasn’t Indian. It was a Portuguese-African-Indian love child. Cumin for earth. Oregano for sun. Smoked paprika for memory. And the bird’s-eye chili for courage .
They renamed it Peri Peri (a Portuguese slur of the Swahili). And they did something clever: they married it to the spices of the East. Black cardamom from Kerala. Cumin from Syria. Paprika that had sailed from the Americas. A little dried oregano that smelled of Mediterranean cliffs. what is peri peri masala
Omar paused the voice note, rummaged in his spice box, and then resumed. That’s where the word masala snuck in