Zambo

What it is

According to Hachmia Ahidar, a 68-year-old woman from Beni Bouffrah in the province of Al Hoceima, zambo is made from the flour that falls when barley groats (dchicha) are ground on the hand mill; it is roasted twice on the kanun and then ground once more.¹ The kanun is a stone hearth, usually built into the ground, in which wood or embers burn.²

Zambo is not eaten with a spoon like couscous; instead you take a small amount in the palm of your hand and dip it in olive oil.³ Mohamed Aznaki, chairman of the Sifax association, which promotes Amazigh culture in northern Morocco, calls zambo a dessert made from wheat that is prepared only for special occasions.⁴

Where it comes from

Zambo is most widespread in the Rif areas of the province of Al Hoceima and in the eastern Rif in the province of Nador, as well as among the Jebala and Ghomara in the provinces of Chefchaouen and Ouezzane.⁵ According to Aznaki, the word has no known meaning or origin; in some parts of the Rif the dish is called thzemmit or zemmita.⁶

How it is cooked

When

Zambo is eaten above all in summer, when the wheat is ripe, on certain feast days and for guests; it is seen as a sign of hospitality.⁷ The women and girls of the family prepare it together in the grandparents’ house.⁸