Ras el-Hanout

Ras el-hanout means head of the shop, and it refers to the merchant's best - the blend a spice seller makes from the top of what he stocks, in his own proportions, kept as his recipe. There is no fixed formula. A common blend runs to twelve to twenty components: cardamom, mace, cinnamon, ginger, black and long pepper, cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, rosebud, lavender, galangal, cubeb, grains of paradise and others, and elaborate versions run to thirty or forty. Historically some blends included ingredients that are now prohibited or discouraged, including cantharides, and reputable sellers no longer use them. It goes into tagines, into rfissa, into mrouzia, into couscous broth. The way to buy it is to find a shop that grinds it in front of you from whole spices rather than selling a pre-mixed powder, because ground spice loses its oils fast and powder is where the adulteration happens.

What you actually see

• No fixed recipe - each shop's own proportions, from the best of its stock.
• Twelve to forty components - cardamom, mace, rosebud, galangal and much else.
• Ground in front of you - the only sensible way to buy it.
• A name that explains it - the top of the shop, meaning the merchant's best.

When to go

All year. Half an hour in a spice shop.

Honest expectations

Pre-ground powder in tourist shops is often bulked with turmeric and cheap filler. It loses its character within months of grinding. Prices vary enormously for what looks like the same thing. Ask for it ground fresh and smell it before buying.

Nearby

The attarine souks of Fes and Marrakech; Rahba Kedima in Marrakech.