Ras El Hanout
/ˌrɑːs el həˈnuːt/noun
A North African spice blend traditionally made from a varied selection of aromatic spices.
Did you know?Ras el hanout has no single universal recipe; Moroccan spice merchants traditionally created their own signature blends, sometimes including dozens of ingredients.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*raʔš-
“Head or top; the uppermost part”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
raʔs
“Head, summit, or chief”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
ḥānūt
“Shop, store, or small commercial stall”
Medieval Maghrebi Arabic
Arabic
raʔs al-ḥānūt
“The head or chief selection of the shop”
20th Century
French
ras el hanout
“A North African spice mixture; literally, “head of the shop””
Modern English
English
ras el hanout
“An aromatic Moroccan or North African spice blend”
Explore more surprising origins