Moroccan · Breakfast

Zmita (Roasted Barley Flour with Argan & Honey)

Zmita — also called zametar or roasted barley meal — is toasted barley ground to a nutty flour, then stirred with argan oil and honey into a dense, spoonable breakfast paste that tastes of roasted grain and almonds. Rooted in the Souss region, it is energy-dense country food, sometimes spiked with aniseed, fennel and sesame, eaten by the spoonful with tea.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 25 min
Serves: 4
Level: Easy

Zmita (Roasted Barley Flour with Argan & Honey)

Ingredients

250 g barley flour (or toast whole barley and grind)
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp aniseed
1 tsp fennel seeds
4 tbsp argan oil (culinary)
4 tbsp honey, plus extra to serve
Pinch of salt
Warm milk or mint tea, to serve

Method

1

Toast the flour

Toast the barley flour in a dry heavy pan over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, for 8–10 minutes until it smells nutty and turns a shade darker. Do not let it scorch.
2

Toast the seeds

In the same way, lightly toast the sesame, aniseed and fennel until fragrant, then grind them coarsely and stir into the flour with a pinch of salt.
3

Bind with oil and honey

Off the heat, stir in the argan oil and honey a spoonful at a time until the mixture comes together into a soft, spoonable paste.
4

Adjust

Taste and add more honey for sweetness or more argan oil to loosen; it should hold on a spoon but not be dry.
5

Serve

Serve small mounds at room temperature with extra honey and glasses of warm milk or mint tea.

Chef's tips

Use culinary (roasted) argan oil, not cosmetic argan oil — the roasted nutty flavour is the whole character of the dish.
Toast the flour patiently over low heat; rushing it gives a raw taste or a burnt one.
Grind the aniseed and fennel just before using so their perfume is at its strongest.

Frequently asked questions

Where does zmita come from?

It is country food of the Souss and Amazigh south, where barley and argan are staples. It travels well and keeps, so it was traditional shepherd and traveller food.

Can I use olive oil instead of argan?

You can, but the flavour changes completely. Argan gives zmita its signature roasted-nut taste; olive oil makes a fine but different porridge-paste.