Ras el Hanout is a spice blend common in North African cooking, which is especially used in Moroccan cuisine. It plays a similar role in North African cuisine as garam masala does in Indian cuisine.
The name is Arabic for “head of the shop” (similar to the English expression “top-shelf”) and is known to be a mixture of the best spices the seller has to offer. We like to think that our mix is made with some of the best spices Westpoint has to offer!
There is no mandatory composition of spices that makes up Ras el Hanout. Each shop, company, or family may have their own blend, we have our mix with a mixture of spices like Paprika, Cumin, Turmeric, Cardamon and many other delicious spices.
The mixture usually consists of over a dozen spices, in different proportions, our mix includes a mix of 18 different amazing spices. It’s a delicious rub for beef, chicken or fish and a wonderful flavor base for soups, stews and marinades. We even have many vegetarian dishes that it is tasty in!
Why are all natural spice mixes healthy for you?
Ras el Hanout has high levels of essential oils that are beneficial for health. Among the oils are piperine from black pepper, pinene from cardamom and nutmeg. There is also oleic acid from the coriander.
Another great source of vitamins such as coriander which is a great source of vitamin C, a nutrient lacking in most other spices. Other vitamins found in Ras el Hanout include niacin and thiamin from cardamom and vitamin A from cinnamon.
Turmeric is one of the most anti-inflammatory agent due to it’s active component curcumin which has been shown to reduce symptoms of arthritis while lowering cholesterol and protecting your liver! Gingeris another powerful anti-inflammatory that supports a healthy heart and offers multiple benefits to the digestive tract.
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