This North African spice blend's name translates from the Arabic as "head of the shop" implying that it is the mix of the best spices in store thus creating a unique, vibrant, earthy, and aromatic blend. Ras el Hanout is used in many savory dishes, sometimes rubbed on meat or fish, or stirred into couscous, pasta, or rice. Commonly used ingredients include cardamom, cumin, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, dry ginger, chili peppers, coriander seed, peppercorn, sweet and hot paprika, fenugreek, and dry turmeric. Some spices may be particular to the region, such as ash berries, chufa, grains of paradise, orris root, monk's pepper, cubebs, dried rosebud, fennel seed or aniseed, galangal, long pepper.
