Sellou

Sellou, called sfouf in some regions, is flour toasted slowly in a pan until it browns and smells of biscuit, mixed with almonds fried and ground, sesame toasted and ground, anise, cinnamon, and worked together with melted butter and honey into a heavy sandy mass that is pressed into a mound on a plate and decorated with whole almonds. It keeps for weeks and it is enormously energy-dense, which is exactly its purpose: it is made for Ramadan, when a small amount at the pre-dawn meal or after the fast carries a long way, and for women after childbirth, where the same logic applies. It is eaten in spoonfuls or pressed into balls, with tea. Every household makes it slightly differently and the toasting of the flour is where the skill sits - too little and it tastes raw, too much and it is bitter. It is not a light dessert and is not meant to be.

What you actually see

• Toasted flour - browned slowly in a pan, and where the skill and the flavour sit.
• Fried almonds and sesame - ground and worked in with butter and honey.
• A pressed mound - shaped on a plate and decorated with whole almonds.
• Made for endurance - Ramadan and post-childbirth, where the density is the point.

When to go

All year; Ramadan and celebrations for the full context. An hour.

Honest expectations

It is extremely rich and dense - a spoonful is a portion. Shop versions vary and some are heavy on sugar and light on almonds. It is dry and needs tea alongside. Nut allergies are an obvious issue.

Nearby

Pastry shops in every medina; strongest in the weeks before Ramadan.