Spice
Sesame Seed
جلجلان · jeljlan
Sesame — jeljlan — is toasted to a golden, nutty crunch and woven through Moroccan baking and sweets. It tops breads with aniseed, coats honey-drenched chebakia at Ramadan, and is ground into rich sweets like sellou. Its toasted aroma is one of the signature smells of a Moroccan kitchen and pastry table.
- Type
- Spice
- Heat
- None
- Uses
- 5 classic dishes
Flavour & aroma
Raw sesame is mild and slightly grassy; toasted, it becomes deeply nutty, rich and aromatic. The tiny seeds add crunch and a buttery depth to breads and sweets, and ground into a paste they turn rich and creamy. Toasting is what unlocks their flavour.
In the Moroccan kitchen
Where sesame seed earns its place — the Moroccan dishes that rely on it:
- Chebakia. The Ramadan sesame-and-honey pastry is coated in toasted seeds.
- Breads and khobz. Sesame and aniseed together are a classic Moroccan bread topping.
- Sellou / sfouf. Toasted ground sesame and almonds make this rich energy sweet.
- Ghriba and biscuits. Seeds add crunch and nutty depth to Moroccan cookies.
- Savoury toppings. Scattered on dishes for texture and aroma.
How to use it
- Toast sesame gently in a dry pan, stirring, until golden and fragrant — it burns fast, so watch it.
- Grind toasted sesame for sellou and rich sweets, or leave whole for crunch and topping.
- Pair sesame with aniseed for breads and with honey for pastries.
- Add toasted seeds near the end so they keep their crunch and aroma.
How to store it
Sesame is oily and can go rancid, so store it sealed, cool and dark, and toast it fresh when you can. Buy in amounts you'll use within a few months rather than a large bag that turns stale.
Buying it in the Marrakech spice souk
What to look for, and how not to overpay:
- Taste a seed if you can — fresh sesame is sweet and nutty, while rancid sesame is sharp and bitter.
- Buy untoasted (raw) seed so you can toast it fresh at home for the best aroma.
- Look for clean, plump, uniform pale seeds without a lot of dust or debris.
- Sesame is inexpensive; buy a modest, fresh quantity from a spice or grain stall.
Pairs well with
Frequently asked questions
What is jeljlan?
Jeljlan is the Darija name for sesame seed, toasted to a nutty crunch and used across Moroccan baking — on breads, coating chebakia at Ramadan, and ground into rich sweets like sellou.
How do you toast sesame seeds?
Warm them in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant. They burn quickly, so take them off the heat as soon as they colour and smell nutty.
What is chebakia?
Chebakia is a Moroccan Ramadan pastry: strips of spiced dough shaped like flowers, fried, dipped in honey and orange-blossom water, then coated in toasted sesame seeds.