Sellou

Sellou is toasted flour, sesame and almonds ground together with sugar and spices into a rich, no-cook confection. Moroccan households prepare it specifically for Ramadan, since it's dense and calorie-rich enough to genuinely help sustain the body through the day's fast — a dish built as much for its nutritional value during that month as for its flavour.

What it really is

Flour toasts in a dry pan for a long time, stirred constantly, until it deepens in colour and smells distinctly nutty and roasted — this step alone takes real time and attention, since scorched flour ruins the whole batch. Toasted sesame seeds and almonds grind down and mix in along with sugar, cinnamon and other warm spices, and the whole thing combines with melted butter until it forms a dense, slightly crumbly mixture that needs no further cooking. It's often pressed into a mound or individual portions rather than left loose.

The flour toasting is the single most demanding step, and rushing it shows. A properly toasted flour gives sellou its deep, nutty backbone; skipping or shortening that step leaves the finished confection tasting flat and starchy rather than rich and roasted.

How it's served

• At room temperature, often shaped into a mound or pressed into individual portions.
• As a sweet eaten in small amounts, given how dense and rich it is.
• Especially prominent during Ramadan, though eaten at other times too.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the wheat, sesame and almonds.
• It's naturally vegan and vegetarian if made without butter; note if butter is used, since some recipes include it.
• Say if it's a seasonal Ramadan item or available year-round.