Moroccan · Condiment
Smen (Moroccan Preserved Fermented Butter)
Smen is Morocco's aged, salted, fermented butter — pungent, cheesy and deeply savoury, a little like a cross between ghee and a ripe blue cheese. A spoonful transforms a tagine, couscous broth or bowl of harira, and traditionally jars of smen were buried and aged for months, even years, as a mark of a household's wealth. A small amount goes a very long way.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 20
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 500 g good unsalted butter
- 2–3 tsp coarse salt
- Optional: 1 tsp dried oregano or za'atar, boiled in a little water and cooled (traditional flavouring)
- A sterilised jar with a tight lid
Method
- 1
Melt and clarify
Melt the butter very gently and let it simmer a few minutes so the milk solids separate. Skim the foam and, for a longer-keeping smen, strain off the clear fat from the milky sediment (like clarifying).
- 2
Work in the salt
If using the herb infusion, some cooks knead the butter with the salted, herb-steeped water to work in flavour and salt; the simplest method is to stir the salt straight into the warm butter.
- 3
Jar it
Pack the salted butter into a sterilised jar, pressing out air pockets, and seal tightly.
- 4
Age
Keep it in a cool, dark place (traditionally buried or cellared) to ferment and mature. It grows funkier and more cheese-like over weeks and months. Refrigeration slows the ageing for a milder result.
- 5
Use sparingly
Spoon a little into tagines, couscous broth, harira or rfissa for a savoury, aged depth. It is potent, so start small.
Chef's tips
- Smen is meant to smell strong and cheesy — that funk is the point, not a sign it has spoiled.
- Clarifying the butter first helps it keep far longer at cool room temperature.
- Use a tiny amount at a time; too much smen will dominate a dish rather than season it.
Frequently asked questions
What does smen taste like?
Intensely savoury, salty and pungent — somewhere between aged ghee and a strong cheese. Aged longer, it becomes sharper and funkier. It adds a distinctive, almost umami depth to Moroccan cooking.
How is smen used?
In small amounts, melted into tagines, couscous broths, harira, rfissa and bread doughs, or spread on bread by those who love it. A spoonful lends the deep, aged flavour of traditional Moroccan home cooking.