It's called baharat. And no, it has nothing to do with your motherland or with Vande Something Air India flights bringing stranded Indians home to the world's second most infected country. Baharat is a spice mixture I first encountered on a plate in an Emirates Business Class lounge in Dubai. That time, I tasted baharat but had no idea that's what it was called.

Then I saw the name in a Middle Eastern cookbook. It was only a matter of time before I finagled myself some fresh baharat from Dubai. It's dark, close to Maharashtrian goda masala. It's strong: I discerned cumin, cloves, cardamon. I followed the recipe and made spiced chicken with rice, known in Dubai as Machbool Ala Dajaj. And I knew I was back in Emirates Business Class, mile-high among royalty, eating something that could make you feel weak-kneed from pleasure.