What is Ras Al-Hanout?

June 19, 2009

I’d never heard of ras al-hanout until I decided to make Moroccan Cubanos (recipe coming Monday, via the Top Chef Cookbook).

Ras al-hanout is a Moroccan/North African/Middle Eastern spice blend.  Per wikipedia, the name means “head of the shop” in Arabic, which refers to it being a mixture of a shop’s best spices.

There is no single recipe, and the various spices that can be included are nigh infinite, though there is frequently cumin, cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, allspice, paprika…you get the idea.

In the recipe I made, it is a spice rub for meat, though it can also be used with rice or couscous.

Here is a simple recipe from the cookbook:

Combine -

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

It tasted great – I encourage you to make your own, whether following this recipe or mixing your own concoction.

Posted in Food Profiles, Recipes |