Picture it: Sijilmasa, Middle Ages. Caravans were caravanning, camels were clopping, and spices were being traversed this way and that. Occasionally, the dromedaries carrying the spices would scuffle, causing spices to fall onto the ground and mix together. Instead of considering this a spice waste, the merchants saw an opportunity to mix all of the spices into one bottle and sell it as an exclusive “artfully crafted” blend. The result? High demand for Ras El Hanout from Cairo to Damascus. 

While technically translated as “head of shop,” we just think of Ras El Hanout as Top Shelf. While there is no single common recipe for Ras El Hanout, ours is a 10-spice blend heavy on coriander, ginger, cinnamon, black peppercorns, and rose petals. 

Spices Include: coriander, ginger, cinnamon, black peppercorns, and rose petals.