TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Moroccan Herb/Spice Types
Za'atar is a traditional spice blend with Middle Eastern and Levantine origins. The ingredients used in za'atar vary from region to region, and the list often includes the wild za'atar herb (hyssop, growing throughout the Levant), marjoram, thyme, oregano, coriander, cumin, toasted sesame seeds, sumac, and salt.
The sumac imparts a lemony, citrusy flavor, oregano gives a slight bitterness, while marjoram gives notes of sweetness. The spice blend is commonly sprinkled over soups, dips, bread, meat, rice, pasta, vegetables, or rice dishes.
Ras el hanout is a mixture which often includes up to 40 different spices, while some blends claim to include over 100. Literally translated, ras el hanout means top of the shop, suggesting that the spice blend is the best and finest thing a consumer can buy from the merchants.
Overall, the spice mix should be aromatic, warm, sharp, and slightly pungent, including some common, and some unusual ingredients such as dried lavender, caraway, galangal, a variety of peppers, dried rosebuds, and Japanese white ginger. Sometimes, ras el hanout can even contain hashish or a Spanish fly.
Taliouine saffron hails from the eponymous mountain village, located on the Souktana plateau, at an altitude of 1300-1500 meters above sea level, in Morocco’s region of Souss-Massa. The saffron is cultivated by a small number of producers, all of whom are members of the Coopérative Agricole de Taliouine, and the harvest typically takes place from October till November.
With a more intense flavor and aroma but less vivid colors than other types of saffron, this highly-prized saffron variety is considered to be the result of a unique combination of perfectly suited territory, the region’s unique climate, and the indispensable knowledge of the people who are involved in its production.
Produced by local women in the eponymous Moroccan village, set at the foothills of the eastern Anti-Atlas mountain range, Alnif cumin is traditionally gathered and processed from the end of April till the beginning of May. Bunches of hand-cut cumin plants are first dried, then beaten to extract the seeds, and finally sieved through a palm-leaf-woven container to filter out fine straw and dust.
Distinguished by excellent quality and intense aroma, this cumin variety can be used both whole and ground, and it commonly enhances the flavor of various traditional Moroccan specialties such as couscous, tajine, and soups. Alnif cumin also goes well in combination with boiled meat and vegetables and is highly appreciated for its curative properties and for having a relatively long shelf life.
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