Cooking with Sesame Seeds
Recipes with Sesame Seeds — The Crunch Behind Morocco's Bread and Sweets
Sesame seeds (jeljlane) are scattered across the top of Moroccan bread more often than almost anywhere else in the world, and they run through several of the country's best-known sweets, toasted first for a deeper, nuttier flavour than the raw seed ever gives. From the crust of a Friday khobz to the syrup-soaked knots of chebakia, sesame is one of the quiet constants of Moroccan baking. This guide covers where sesame genuinely earns its place, and the simple toasting step most recipes assume you already know.
Toasting sesame: the step that changes everything
Raw sesame seeds taste faintly bitter and barely register in a dish; toasted in a dry pan for two or three minutes until golden and fragrant, they turn nutty and considerably more flavourful. Almost every Moroccan recipe that calls for sesame means toasted sesame, even when the recipe doesn't say so explicitly — it is assumed knowledge in most kitchens, worth stating plainly for anyone cooking Moroccan food for the first time.
The best Moroccan recipes with sesame
Khobz bread, its crust often scattered with sesame seeds before baking. Chebakia, the flower-shaped, deep-fried pastry dipped in honey syrup and rolled in toasted sesame, essential during Ramadan. Sellou (sfouf), where toasted sesame joins almonds and toasted flour in the honey-bound mixture. Msemen, occasionally finished with a scatter of sesame for texture. Chebakia is the dish most associated with sesame in the Moroccan calendar.
Sesame and Ramadan
Chebakia and sellou, both heavy with toasted sesame, are two of the most common sights on a Ramadan table, prepared in large batches ahead of the month since both keep well without refrigeration. The combination of sesame's crunch, honey's sweetness and warm spice is specifically built to be energy-dense, meant to sustain the body through a full day without food.
Buying sesame seeds in Morocco
Sesame is sold both raw and pre-toasted in souks and grocery stores, usually cheaply, around 15-25 MAD per kilo. Buying raw and toasting your own at home is worth the extra few minutes, since pre-toasted seeds sold loose can sit for weeks and lose much of their aroma before you buy them.
Cook's tips
- Toast raw sesame in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes until golden — almost every recipe assumes this step.
- Buy raw sesame and toast it yourself; pre-toasted seeds can sit for weeks and lose their aroma.
- Roll warm, freshly fried chebakia in toasted sesame immediately after its honey bath, while still sticky.
- Store toasted sesame in an airtight container; it loses its nutty edge faster than the raw seed.
- Make chebakia and sellou ahead of Ramadan — both keep for weeks without refrigeration.
Questions about cooking with Sesame Seeds
Do you need to toast sesame seeds for Moroccan recipes?
Yes, almost always. Raw sesame is faintly bitter and barely flavourful; toasting in a dry pan for a couple of minutes turns it nutty and fragrant, which is the flavour nearly every Moroccan recipe calling for sesame actually expects.
What is chebakia coated in?
Chebakia, a flower-shaped fried pastry, is dipped in warm honey syrup while still hot from frying, then rolled immediately in toasted sesame seeds so they stick to the sticky surface before it cools.
Why is sesame common during Ramadan?
Sesame-heavy sweets like chebakia and sellou are energy-dense and keep well without refrigeration, making them ideal to prepare in large batches ahead of the month and eat through it, especially at the pre-dawn meal.
Is sesame used in Moroccan bread?
Yes — a scatter of sesame seeds on top of khobz, the everyday round bread, is common, adding a nutty crunch to the crust, particularly on bread baked for Friday couscous lunch or other special occasions.
Cook these dishes with a local in Marrakech
Learn to handle sesame seeds the Moroccan way in a hands-on cooking class, or taste it across the medina on a guided food tour.