Zmita (الزميتة)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide heavy skillet
• •Spice grinder or hand mill
• •Large mixing bowl
• •Fine sieve

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the barley

   Put the barley flour in a wide dry pan over medium-low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, reaching the edges where flour catches first. It should smell nutty and turn a shade deeper, like pale sand after rain. If it smells sharp or scorched, you've gone too far. The roast is the dish, so stay with it.

   If starting from whole barley, toast the grains until fragrant, cool them fully, then grind very fine and sift. Any coarse bits make the zmita feel gritty.
2. 2

   Toast the seeds

   Toast the sesame in a separate dry pan until it turns golden and smells warm, then lift it out at once. Toast the anise and fennel only until their scent rises, less than a minute. Let everything cool before grinding, or the oils smear instead of turning fine.

3. 3

   Grind and sift

   Grind most of the sesame with the anise and fennel, keeping a spoonful of sesame whole for texture. In a large bowl, mix the toasted barley flour, ground seeds, cinnamon, salt, and ground almonds if using. Sift once if you want a finer spoonful. Zmita should be dense, yes, but never sandy.

4. 4

   Bind by hand

   Warm the honey just until it loosens, then pour it over the dry mixture with the oil. Work it in with your fingers, rubbing and folding until the flour drinks evenly. Add a little more oil only if the mixture refuses to hold when pressed. You want a heavy, spoonable paste that keeps a soft ridge.

5. 5

   Taste and rest

   Taste for sweetness and salt. Add the optional icing sugar only if your table wants it sweeter, but don't bury the barley. Cover and rest the zmita at least 1 hour so the grains soften and the spices settle into the oil and honey.

6. 6

   Serve and keep

   Spoon the zmita into a shared beldi bowl, scatter the reserved sesame over the top, and serve with small spoons and mint tea. It keeps in a sealed jar or tin for 2 weeks at cool room temperature, longer in the refrigerator. Bring it back to room temperature before serving so the honey loosens again.

Chef Tips

• •Barley is the heart here. Buy fresh barley flour from a shop with turnover, or toast and grind the grain yourself. No spice can rescue stale flour.
• •Argan oil is beautiful in zmita if you have the edible toasted kind from a trusted source. If not, use a mild olive oil. Strong, bitter oil will take over the bowl.
• •Keep the almonds modest. In some houses they appear, in others they don't. If you make this taste like city sellou, you've changed its character.
• •Make a small test spoon before adding more oil. Press it between your fingers. If it holds, stop. Zmita is meant to be dense, not shiny with fat.

Advance Preparation

• •Toast and grind the barley up to 3 days ahead, then keep it sealed so it doesn't take moisture from the air.
• •Finished zmita keeps well for 2 weeks in an airtight tin or jar. Stir before serving, because the oil can settle a little.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 100g)