What is the name of the Moroccan spice blend that translates to 'head of the shop'?

The Moroccan spice blend whose name translates to “head of the shop” is ras el hanout. The Arabic phrase suggests that a shopkeeper is offering the finest or most prized spices available, making the blend a marker of quality rather than a single standardized recipe.

Ras el hanout has no definitive composition. Recipes vary by region, spice merchant, company, or family, and many versions contain more than a dozen ingredients. Common possibilities include cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, coriander, turmeric, paprika, and pepper. Some traditional mixtures also include less familiar regional ingredients.

The blend is used in savory cooking across Morocco and the wider Maghreb. It may season meat or fish, or be stirred into couscous, rice, and stews. It is not the same as za’atar, baharat, or garam masala: those are separate spice blends with different regional traditions and typical ingredient profiles.