Ras el-Hanout

Packaged Ras-El-Hanout from Morocco

Ras el-Hanout [ rɑʔs ælħɑːnuːt ] ( listen to ^{? / I} ) ( Arabic  رأس الحانوت, DMG Raʾs al-Ḥānūt  , literally: head of the shop ') is a spice mixture that originated in the Maghreb and is used for numerous dishes. Ras el Hanout refines couscous, bulgur and rice, but also lamb, fish and vegetables and many other dishes from North African cuisine . It is also the typical spice for stews made from the tagine .

Depending on the recipe, Ras el Hanout consists of up to 30 different, ground spices that combine hot, spicy, sweet and bitter flavors. So give cinnamon , cardamom and dried rose buds , where they are incorporated, particularly in Morocco and Tunisia, where the mixture is less sharp, a floral note, while chilli and ginger for sharpness care, cumin and allspice complement the spicy note, anise and clove the sweet.

Ras el Hanout means something like “the best of the shop” or “boss of the shop”. The preparation is presumably so complicated that only someone with a lot of experience can make this spice composition. In addition, Ras el Hanout is composed differently depending on the region. Many families have their own recipe that is passed on from generation to generation.

literature

• The great Larousse Gastronomique , Paris, Munich, 2007, ISBN 978-3-88472-900-7