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Food and drink

Irkman

Irkman is a dish of cereal grains that are soaked, pounded and boiled in water until done; finally olive oil is poured over it. In Beni Jmil in the Rif it is cooked for the Amazigh New Year.

What it is

According to the sociologist Achraf Amhaouch, who researches the culture of the Rif, irkman is a dish that the women of Beni Jmil know well how to cook: cereal grains are left for a while in a vessel of water, pounded well, cleaned of impurities, boiled in water until done and drizzled with olive oil. Others cook irkman a second way, with cereals and pulses.

How it is cooked

RecipeIrkman from Beni JmilAfter the sociologist Achraf Amhaouch, in Hespress

When

In Beni Jmil the Amazigh New Year is celebrated on 13 and 14 January; the first day bids farewell to the old year, the second welcomes the new one. On the morning of the first day a large flatbread topped with dried fruit is baked on the kanun and irkman is cooked; at lunch and dinner there is berkoukes, a local couscous.

At a glance

Arabic script
إركمان

Where it comes from

At home in the region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima.

Also named: Al Hoceima

The places link to their pages on meinmarokko.com.

Al Hoceima

Goes with it

CustomsYennayerYennayer is the Amazigh New Year; in Morocco, 14 January is a public holiday as the Amazigh New Year.Food and drinkCouscousSemolina rolled by hand into small grains and cooked over steam, served with vegetables and meat according to the area, season and occasion. Since 2020 couscous has been on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage, as a joint entry of four countries of the Maghreb.Food and drinkAghroumAghroum (aɣrum) is the Amazigh word for bread: the IRCAM dictionary lists it as a masculine noun meaning “pain”, خبز. In the Rif it is baked from barley flour in the household oven, while in southern Morocco various breads bear this name, distinguished by the way they are baked.

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Last checked on 30 Oct 2026. 1 sources, 0 of them primary (authority, UNESCO, operator).

  1. Hespress (mit MAP): تقاليد الحسيمة تفتتح سنة الأمازيغ (15.01.2025). https://www.hespress.com/%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%AD-%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%BA-1497955.html. Checked on 30 Oct 2026.
  2. Hespress (mit MAP): تقاليد الحسيمة تفتتح سنة الأمازيغ (15.01.2025). https://www.hespress.com/%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%AD-%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%BA-1497955.html. Checked on 30 Oct 2026.
  3. Hespress (mit MAP): تقاليد الحسيمة تفتتح سنة الأمازيغ (15.01.2025). https://www.hespress.com/%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%AD-%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%BA-1497955.html. Checked on 30 Oct 2026.
  4. Hespress (mit MAP): تقاليد الحسيمة تفتتح سنة الأمازيغ (15.01.2025). https://www.hespress.com/%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%AD-%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%BA-1497955.html. Checked on 30 Oct 2026.
  5. Hespress (mit MAP): تقاليد الحسيمة تفتتح سنة الأمازيغ (15.01.2025). https://www.hespress.com/%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%AD-%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%BA-1497955.html. Checked on 30 Oct 2026.
  6. Hespress (mit MAP): تقاليد الحسيمة تفتتح سنة الأمازيغ (15.01.2025). https://www.hespress.com/%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%AD-%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%BA-1497955.html. Checked on 30 Oct 2026.