Soups & starters
Askif (Amazigh Wild-Herb & Barley Soup)
أسكيف · askif
Askif is a rustic Amazigh soup built on barley or semolina thickened broth loosened with buttermilk and coloured green by seasonal herbs and wild greens. A mountain and countryside everyday dish, it is simple, warming and thrifty, changing with whatever greens the season provides.
- Origin
- Amazigh mountain and rural regions
- Type
- Herb and grain soup
- Eaten at
- Everyday, winter, rural meals
- Key flavour
- Barley, wild greens, buttermilk, olive oil
What Askif is
A base of barley meal or semolina is cooked into a light broth, then flavoured with chopped seasonal herbs and wild greens and often soured and loosened with buttermilk.
It is homely and green-tasting, seasoned simply with olive oil, salt and perhaps cumin; the exact greens depend on what is growing, making each pot slightly different.
Origin & story
Askif reflects the resourceful, seasonal nature of Amazigh mountain cooking, where foraged and garden greens stretch a little grain into a warming soup for the whole family.
As a plain, sustaining everyday soup it belongs to the hearth and the countryside rather than the restaurant, tied to the rhythms of what the land offers.
Key ingredients at a glance
- Barley meal or semolina
- Seasonal herbs and wild greens
- Buttermilk (lben)
- Olive oil or argan oil
- Onion or garlic
- Salt and cumin
- Water or a light broth
This is a flavour snapshot, not a recipe.
When & how it's eaten
Eaten hot with bread as an everyday soup, especially in cold weather; it is a light, green, comforting dish rather than a rich one.
It is home and family food, made from staples and whatever greens are to hand.
Regional variations
The greens vary widely by season and place; some versions are thicker and more porridge-like, others thin and brothy. Buttermilk may be stirred in or served alongside.
It sits within Amazigh grain-and-buttermilk cooking near aiche and the barley soup hssoua.
Where to try it in Marrakech
A rural, mountain home dish rather than a menu item — encountered in Amazigh villages and guesthouses; read about Berber cuisine in the guides.
Explore Moroccan soups and country cooking in a harira and soup cooking class.
Frequently asked questions
What is askif?
A rustic Amazigh soup of barley or semolina broth flavoured with seasonal herbs and wild greens and often loosened with buttermilk, eaten as everyday mountain food.
What greens go into askif?
Whatever seasonal herbs and wild or garden greens are available, so the soup changes through the year and from cook to cook.
Is askif a main dish?
It is usually a light, warming soup eaten with bread rather than a hearty main course.