Ras el hanout

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.

It is quite versatile, so it can be rubbed into meat or stirred into rice dishes, and it is especially significant for giving the spicy and sweet aromas to the famous Moroccan tajines. Although each spice blend varies and no particular spice will stick out of the blend, when working together, ras el hanout gives serious flavor and punch to a number of dishes.