Smen is a traditional Moroccan cooking oil made from goat or sheep milk butter mixed with herbs and spices. It is stored in clay pots for months or years to mature and is used to flavor many traditional Moroccan dishes such as couscous and tagine. Moroccan cuisine is influenced by European, Arab, and Berber cultures and is known for its flavorful dishes.
Smen is a traditional seasoned Moroccan cooking oil, the recipe of which has been passed down from generation to generation. The cooking process of smen is very specific and it is stored for long periods in clay pots, often underground, to mature it. The more it matures, the more tasty and valuable it becomes.
The basic ingredient for smen is goat or sheep milk. This is made into butter, which is then used to make smen. Various herbs and spices, which differ from family recipe to recipe, are kneaded into the butter. An alternative method involves wrapping the herbs in cheesecloth and boiling them with butter. In some cases salt is added before cooking and sometimes it is added after the cooking stage.
The butter is then brought to a boil over a heat and will separate into a golden oily section and a milky section. It is left to boil for 15-30 minutes and then removed from the heat. The oil section is then removed and filtered through a cloth to remove sediment. This is placed in a clay pot and sealed. The pot is then stored, traditionally buried in the ground, for months or years.
The longer the time, the more pungent it becomes. It has a distinctive cheesy smell that gets stronger over time. Traditionally a jar of smen was buried in the ground upon the birth of a daughter and remained buried until used to cook food on her wedding day. The size and age of the family was also an indication of their wealth.
Smen is used to cook and flavor many traditional Moroccan dishes such as couscous and tagine. Couscous is a small grain of semolina and is one of Morocco’s staple starches. Tagine is a traditional stew dish cooked in a clay pot with a tapered top, which is most commonly served with couscous. Morocco is known for its tasty and beautifully spiced and flavorful dishes and the smen is part of what adds to the flavour.
Moroccan cuisine is famous all over the world. Due to Morocco’s proximity to Europe, just across the Mediterranean Sea, its cuisine has been influenced by many cultures including European, Arab and Berber. The result is a traditional smorgasbord of spices and meat dishes that have made their way around the world. A Moroccan meal normally ends with a cup of sweet mint tea.
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