Spice
Aniseed
نافع · nafaa / حبة حلاوة · habt hlawa
Aniseed — nafaa — brings a sweet, liquorice-like warmth that Moroccan bakers love. It is the classic partner to sesame in country breads, perfumes biscuits and pastries, and turns up in warm infusions. Small and unassuming, it gives Moroccan baking a distinctive fragrance that feels both homely and festive.
- Type
- Spice
- Heat
- None
- Uses
- 5 classic dishes
Flavour & aroma
Aniseed is sweet and warm with a clear liquorice note, gentler and rounder than caraway's sharper anise edge. Whole seed studs breads with little bursts of fragrance; ground, it perfumes doughs and syrups evenly. It leans to the sweet side of the spice box.
In the Moroccan kitchen
Where aniseed earns its place — the Moroccan dishes that rely on it:
- Khobz and country breads. Aniseed and sesame together are a classic Moroccan bread topping and flavouring.
- Biscuits and pastries. Perfumes ghriba, fekkas and other Moroccan bakes.
- Sellou / sfouf. The toasted flour-and-almond sweet often carries aniseed.
- Warm infusions. Simmered for a soothing, liquorice-scented drink.
- Spiced syrups. Adds fragrance to honey syrups for pastries.
How to use it
- Add whole seed to bread dough for bursts of fragrance, or grind it into pastry and biscuit doughs.
- Toast lightly to bring out the sweetness before grinding.
- Pair aniseed with sesame in breads — the two are a traditional Moroccan couple.
- Use a light hand; the liquorice note can dominate a delicate dough.
How to store it
Whole aniseed keeps for a year or more sealed and dark; the ground seed fades faster. Buy small amounts and grind as needed for baking.
Buying it in the Marrakech spice souk
What to look for, and how not to overpay:
- Ask for nafaa or habt hlawa (literally 'sweet seed') to get aniseed rather than caraway or fennel.
- The seeds are small, greenish-brown and sweetly fragrant when crushed.
- Fennel seed (nafaa can sometimes be conflated locally) is larger and greener — check you have the seed you want.
- Aniseed is cheap; buy a small fresh amount from a spice or herbalist stall.
Pairs well with
Frequently asked questions
What is nafaa?
Nafaa is the Darija name for aniseed, a sweet liquorice-scented seed used in Moroccan breads, biscuits and pastries. It is sometimes called habt hlawa, 'the sweet seed'.
What is aniseed used for in Moroccan baking?
It flavours country breads (classically with sesame), perfumes biscuits like fekkas and ghriba, scents sellou and sweet syrups, and is brewed into soothing infusions.
Is aniseed the same as caraway or fennel?
No. All three have an anise-like note, but aniseed is the sweetest and rounder, caraway is sharper, and fennel seed is larger and more herbal. Moroccan bakers reach for aniseed (nafaa) for that sweet liquorice fragrance.