Ras El Hanout

Meaning ’top of the shop’, this Moroccan spice mixture can include many ingredients, sometimes up to 50 or 100. Typically it includes aniseed, allspice, cloves, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, dried rose buds or petals, galangal, ginger, mace, nutmeg, orris root and various peppers. Some versions may include green Spanish fly, believed to be an aphrodisiac. It is used to flavour rice and couscous, meat and game dishes.