It has been used for centuries in the Middle East and the surrounding areas as a flavoring for baked goods. Recipes calling for the fruit or seed of the “ḫalub” date back to ancient Sumer. In recent decades, it has been slowly entering mainstream cookbooks in English.

In Greek American cooking, it is the characteristic flavoring of Christmas cake and pastry recipes. In Greece, it is called μαχλέπι (mahlepi), and is used in egg-rich yeast cakes and cookies such as Christmas vasilopita and Easter tsoureki breads