Dishes & their history
The History of Sellou
Sellou — known also as sfouf or zmita depending on the region — is one of Morocco's most concentrated foods: a dense, sandy, sweet paste of toasted flour, ground almonds and sesame, bound with melted butter and honey and scented with cinnamon and anise. It is not baked and barely cooked; it is toasted, ground and pressed together, then eaten in small, rich spoonfuls. During Ramadan it is a fixture of the table, and for new mothers it is a restorative — a food designed to pack the maximum of nourishment into the smallest of servings.
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- Dishes & their history
- Updated
- 20 July 2026
At a glance
- Sellou is an unbaked confection of toasted flour, roasted almonds and sesame, bound with butter and honey.
- It is closely associated with Ramadan and with postpartum recovery.
- Its density and keeping quality make it a traditional energy food.
A food built for storage and strength
The logic of sellou is preservation and caloric density. Flour is slowly toasted until deep golden and nutty; sesame seeds and almonds are roasted and ground; the whole is enriched with plenty of melted butter or smen and sweetened with honey. Because the ingredients are cooked dry and carry little moisture, sellou keeps for weeks without spoiling — a quality that made it valuable long before refrigeration, and that still makes it a food prepared in quantity and kept on hand.
That density is the point. A few spoonfuls deliver a great deal of energy, which is precisely why sellou is eaten to break the fast during Ramadan and given to new mothers to help them recover their strength. It belongs to the same tradition of restorative, high-energy foods as rfissa, though it takes the opposite form — a dry sweet rather than a broth.
Ramadan, celebration and recovery
Sellou comes into its own during Ramadan, when the long daylight fast makes concentrated, easily digested energy especially welcome after sunset. It is prepared in the weeks before the month begins and set out alongside dates, harira and chebakia as part of the ritual of breaking the fast. Many families have their own recipe, adjusting the ratio of almonds to sesame, the amount of anise, or the addition of gum arabic (mastic) for fragrance.
Beyond Ramadan, sellou is a celebration food. It is prepared for weddings and for the birth of a child, and it is one of the traditional foods offered to a woman after childbirth, when its richness is valued for restoring energy. In some households it is simply a treat kept in a jar, eaten by the spoonful with a glass of tea.
- Ramadan: served alongside dates, harira and chebakia to break the fast.
- Postpartum: given to new mothers as a restorative, energy-dense food.
- Celebrations: prepared for weddings and births, often as a family speciality.
Regional names and variations
The same basic preparation goes by different names across Morocco — sellou is the common term, but sfouf and zmita are also widely used, sometimes for slightly different versions. Some recipes fry the flour rather than dry-toasting it; some lean heavily on sesame, others on almonds; the spicing may include fennel, aniseed or gum arabic. The proportions are a matter of family pride, and a well-made sellou is judged on its balance of toastiness, sweetness and fragrance.
For the wider tradition of Ramadan sweets that sellou belongs to, see the history of chebakia and Ramadan sweets.
Frequently asked questions
What is sellou made of?
Sellou is made from toasted flour, roasted and ground almonds and sesame seeds, bound with melted butter or smen and sweetened with honey. It is flavoured with cinnamon and anise, and sometimes gum arabic. It is not baked — the ingredients are toasted, ground and pressed together.
Why is sellou eaten during Ramadan?
Sellou is extremely energy-dense and easy to digest, making it ideal for breaking the daylight fast during Ramadan. It is prepared in advance, keeps well, and is served alongside dates, harira and chebakia.
Is sellou the same as sfouf and zmita?
They refer to the same broad family of toasted-flour, almond and sesame confections, with regional names and slight variations. Sellou is the most common term, but sfouf and zmita are used in different areas, sometimes for marginally different preparations.
Why is sellou given to new mothers?
Its combination of toasted flour, almonds, sesame, butter and honey makes it highly nourishing and calorie-dense, which is traditionally valued for helping women recover their strength after childbirth. It is one of several restorative foods offered during the postpartum period.