Sellou or zmita: are they the same thing?

Before you choose

• What your family calls it
• How you'll serve it, and how much you need
• The ingredients, and anything you need to avoid
• Photos of her work, price, packaging and delivery day

Step by step

1. 1

   The name changes, the smell stays

   When you hear sellou or zmita

   The same name doesn't always mean the same recipe from one region to the next. Ask your mother or grandmother what it was called at home. And don't be surprised if the neighbours have a different name and a different mix.

2. 2

   Sellou: every home has its mix

   In the kitchen

   For many people, sellou means making it together: everyone prepares something, and one pair of hands mixes it all. Every home leaves its mark on the taste and the texture. There's no single ingredient list for every sellou, so let the cook explain how she makes hers.

3. 3

   Zmita: not a lesser version

   Depending on the family and region

   Zmita also goes by different names and is made in different ways. Some families make it from what's already in the pantry; others make it for particular occasions. Your family's story matters, but it isn't a rule for all of Morocco.

4. 4

   Neither one wins

   When you compare them

   Looking for the taste you grew up with? Choose the name and recipe closest to it. Discovering it for the first time? Ask the cook what goes in, how it's served and what makes her version different.

5. 5

   If you'd like it ready-made

   Before ordering

   Look at photos of her own work, then ask about ingredients, quantity, presentation, price, packaging and delivery day. If someone at home needs to avoid an ingredient, say so from the start.

Questions people ask