Smen

Smen (daga Larabci:  wanda kuma ake kira jan, semn, semneh, ko sminn) mai gishiri ne, mai yisti na asalin abinci na Arewacin Afirka (Aljeriya,   Morocco da Tunisia ), da kuma abincin gargajiya na Yemen.

A Yemen, 'yan Yemen suna shirya wani nau'i na musamman na semneh (سمنة) wanda ake shan sigari tare da ganye masu ƙanshi a cikin gourd don ba da ɗanɗano mai zurfi da taimako wajen adanawa. Koyaya, smen kuma muhimmiyar sinadarai ce a cikin Abincin Gabas ta Tsakiya da abincin Arewacin Afirka. Ana samar da shi ta amfani da man shanu da aka yi daga madara tumaki, awaki ko haɗuwa da su biyu. Ana kawo man shanu zuwa Wurin tafasa na kimanin minti 15, sannan a cire shi, a shafa shi cikin kwalba mai suna Khabia, kuma a gishiri kafin ya yi curdles. Wasu suna da shi a matsayin al'ada don ƙara tsaba na fenugreek da aka gasa zuwa man shanu mai tafasa, bayan haka ana shayar da shi daga tsaba na Fenugreek. Sau da yawa ana ƙara Thyme a ciki don samar da yisti da enzyme farawa. Ana iya amfani da wasu shuke-shuke ko 'ya'yan itatuwa. Sakamakon ya tsufa, sau da yawa a cikin akwati da aka rufe. Sa'an nan kuma ana binne shi a cikin ƙasa don dalilai na kwanciyar hankali na zafin jiki, kamar yadda aka bar cuku ya girma a cikin koguna saboda suna da sanyi da kuma yanayin zafi.

Yana kama da ghee da niter kibbeh, amma yana da halayyar karfi, rancid, da dandano da ƙanshi. Smen masu girma suna da kama da dandano ga cuku mai launin shudi saboda nau'in cuku ne mai kitse. Da ya fi tsufa, ya fi karfi - kuma ya fi daraja - ya zama. Ana amfani da Smen a al'adance galibi a cikin shirye-shiryen couscous da trid, da kuma tagines da kdras, kodayake ya zama da wuya a samu saboda karuwar maye gurbin man shanu, wani abu na abinci wanda ba na asali ba wanda aka gabatar daga Senegal da sauran ƙasashen Yammacin Afirka.

Smen da aka yi a lokacin hunturu an yi imanin sun fi ƙanshi fiye da waɗanda aka yi a zamanin zafi. A cikin yanayin zafi na yau da kullun, kusa da zafin jiki inda man shanu ya zama ruwa, smen yana girma sosai sannu a hankali. A cikin yanayin zafi, ana ɗaukar wata ɗaya a matsayin lokacin da ya dace don fara amfani da smen a cikin dafa abinci, kodayake dandano ba zai kasance mai ƙarfi ba. A cikin yanayi mai zafi, kamar a cikin ƙasashen equatorial, yana iya ɗaukar watanni huɗu don haɓaka adadin dandano.

Smen yana da muhimmancin al'adu, musamman a matsayin alamar dukiyar iyali. Saboda haka ana amfani da shi sau da yawa a matsayin alamar girmamawa ga baƙi masu daraja ga gida, kamar al'adun wasu al'adu kamar amfani da "kyakkyawan china" ko ba da ruwan inabi mai daraja.

 Al'adun yankin 
Manoma Berber a kudancin Maroko wani lokacin za su binne wani jirgi mai rufewa a ranar haihuwar 'yar, suna tsufa har sai an tono shi kuma an yi amfani da shi don ɗanɗano abincin da aka ba da shi a bikin auren' yarinyar.*

A Yemen, al'adar yankin ita ce a sha sabon man shanu kuma a kara ruwan zafi yayin da madara ko whey har yanzu an gauraye shi da man shanu. Ana ɗaukar wannan cakuda kuma a saka shi a cikin wani akwati daban inda aka kawo shi cikin tafasa. Nan da nan bayan haka, sun ɗauki ko dai garin alkama ko gasa da kuma gurasar tsaba na fenugreek da aka gauraya da ƙwayoyin alkama da aka gasa, kuma sun dafa su tare a kan zafi mai zafi. An ba da izinin cin abinci. Bayan haka, ana shafa man shanu har sai an bar daya tare da wani tsari mai narkewa (smen).  Ana adana smen a cikin akwati mai hayaki a wuri mai sanyi.*

 Dubi kuma 

 Man shanu mai haske
 Ghee
 Kayan madara
 Jerin abincin Afirka

 Manazarta