Smen facts for kids

Smen (left) with msemen (right).

Smen is a special type of butter that has been salted and fermented. It's a traditional food, especially popular in Yemen, the Middle East, and North Africa. People also call it sman, semn, semneh, or sminn.

Smen is made from the milk of sheep or goats, or sometimes a mix of both. It's prepared by boiling butter for about 15 minutes. After boiling, any foam is removed, and the butter is strained. Then, it's put into a special ceramic jar called a khabia and salted. Some people add roasted fenugreek seeds while it boils. Thyme is often added to help it ferment. The smen is then aged, often in sealed containers. Traditionally, it might even be buried in the ground. This helps keep it at a cool, steady temperature, much like how cheese is aged in caves.

What Does Smen Taste Like?

Smen is similar to other clarified butters like ghee. However, it has a very unique, strong, and sometimes cheesy taste and smell. Many people say older smen tastes a lot like blue cheese. The longer smen ages, the stronger its flavor becomes, and the more people value it.

Smen is often used in popular dishes like couscous and trid. It's also found in tagine stews and kdras. In some places, it's becoming harder to find smen. This is because people are starting to use peanut oil more, which came from countries like Senegal.

How Weather Affects Smen

The time of year when smen is made can change its smell. Smen made in winter is often thought to smell better than smen made in warmer months. In very warm places, smen ages slowly. It can take up to four months to get a strong flavor. In cooler temperatures, smen can be ready to use in about one month, though its flavor won't be as strong yet.

Smen's Special Meaning

Smen is more than just food; it's very important in many cultures. It can show how wealthy a family is. Families often offer smen to important guests as a sign of honor. It's like how some cultures use their "fine china" or serve a special wine for honored visitors.

Smen Traditions Around the World

Moroccan Wedding Custom

In southern Morocco, some Berber farmers have a unique tradition. When a daughter is born, they might bury a sealed jar of smen. This smen is then aged underground until the daughter's wedding day. It is then dug up and used to flavor the food served at her wedding celebration.

Yemeni Preparation Method

In Yemen, there's a local way to make smen. First, fresh butter is mixed with hot water, even if some milk or whey is still in the butter. This mix is then boiled. After boiling, people add either wheat flour or a mix of roasted, ground fenugreek seeds and roasted wheat kernels. They cook this slowly until it simmers. Finally, the butter is strained to get a clear, melted smen. This smen is then stored in a special smoked clay pot in a cool place.

See also

In Spanish: Smen para niños