Made using an aromatic mix of spices, ras el hanout is a Moroccan blend of up to 30 ingredients. Translated from Arabic to ‘head of the shop’, ras el hanout is seen as one of the greatest spice mixes in the world. Many recipes for creating ras el hanout use different ingredients, but traditionally most blends contain a mixture of cardamom, clove, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, paprika, mace, nutmeg, peppercorn and turmeric. Other mixtures have been known to feature more exotic ingredients such as ash berries, oris root, cubebs and dried rosebud.

Incorporating ras el hanout in the kitchen can be a lot of fun, especially when you make the spice mix yourself. There are plenty of recipes out there for making your own blend – be sure to tinker with the subtle flavours by adding a few choice spices of your own. Once you’ve settled on your mix, add a touch of Moroccan flavour to your cooking and get creative. Whip up some edamame felafel with roasted vegetables, chicken with figs in ras el hanout and couscous, Moroccan spiced chicken, lentil soup, honeyed lamb with ras el hanout or a fish, chicken or vegetable tagine.