Smen

Smen(fromArabic:سمن or سمنةalso calledsman,semn,semneh, orsminn) is a salted, fermented butter native to North African cuisine (Algeria,Morocco and Tunisia), as well as a traditional Yemeni dish.
InYemen, Yemenis prepare a special version ofsemneh(سمنة) which is smoked with aromatic herbs inside of a gourd in order to impart deeper flavour and aid in preservation. However, smen is also an important ingredient inMiddle Eastern cuisineandNorth Africancooking. It is produced using thebuttermade from themilkofsheep,goatsor a combination of the two. The butter is brought to itsboiling pointfor about 15 minutes, then skimmed, strained into a ceramic jar called akhabia, and salted before itcurdles. Some have it as a practice to add roastedfenugreekseeds to the boiling butter, after which it is strained from the fenugreek seeds.Thymeis often added to it to provide a yeast and enzyme starter. Other plants or fruits can be used. The result is then aged, often in sealed containers. It is then traditionally buried in the ground for temperature stability purposes, just like cheese is left to mature in caves because they have cooler and more stable temperatures.
It is similar togheeandniter kibbeh, but has a characteristically strong, rancid, and cheesy taste and smell. Matured smen is very similar in taste to blue cheese as it is a high-fat form of cheese. The older the smen, the stronger—and more valued—it becomes. Smen is traditionally used mainly in the preparation ofcouscousandtrid, as well as oftaginesandkdras, although it has become more difficult to find due to an increased replacement bypeanut oil, a non-native culinary element introduced from Senegal and other West African countries.
Smen made during winter is believed to be more fragrant than those made during a warmer season. In constant warm weather, closer to the temperature where butter becomes liquid, smen matures very slowly. In lower temperatures, one month is considered an acceptable time to start using the smen in cooking, although its flavour will not be strong. In constant warm weather, like in equatorial countries, it can take up to four months to develop the equivalent amount of flavour.
Smen holds great cultural significance, particularly as an indicator of familial wealth. As such it will often be used as a token of honor for esteemed visitors to a household, akin to other cultures' customs such as using the "fine china" or serving an especially prizedwine.
Berberfarmers in southernMoroccowill sometimes bury a sealed vessel of smen on the day of a daughter's birth, aging it until it is unearthed and used to season the food served at that daughter's wedding.
InYemen, the local custom was to take fresh butter and to add thereto hot water while the milk or whey was still mixed with the butter. This mixture is then taken up and put into a separate vessel where it is then brought to a boil. Immediately thereafter, they took either wheat flour or roasted and groundfenugreekseeds mixed with roasted wheat kernels, and cooked them together on a low heat. Allowed to simmer. Afterwards, the butter is then strained until one is left with a clear batch of melted butter (smen).The smen is then stored in a smoked earthenware container in a cool place.