Herbal Smen

I first tasted herbal smen in late spring of 1969 while traveling in Berber country in southern Morocco. There my host family treated me to some grilled flat bread hot off a clay griddle smeared with the family smen, a dense, straw-colored substance that had the richness of butter and the taste of a subtle mix of salt and local herbs.

The herbs, my host explained, were regional varieties of wild thyme, short bush oregano, and a local savory called azukni, known