The Allure of Aged Butter
For many years, I’ve been fascinated by the enigmatic world of aged butter – or as it’s known in Morocco, smen. This unique culinary delight, which has been prized for centuries, has managed to elude the palates of most Western consumers, who often dismiss it as rancid or unpalatable. But as I delved deeper into the rich history and complex flavors of smen, I became determined to uncover its hidden charms and share them with the world.
My journey began when I stumbled upon a serendipitous culinary mishap – a caramel I had made with slightly aged butter. To my surprise, the resulting flavor was not the cloying, off-putting one I had anticipated, but rather a delightful fusion of savoury and sweet, with subtle undertones of meaty complexity. This experience piqued my curiosity and set me on a path to explore the fascinating interplay between rancidity and deliciousness.
As I dug deeper into the subject, I discovered that the line between what we consider “rancid” and what we consider desirable in the world of food is often blurred. Take the beloved blue cheeses, for example – their pungent, almost ammonia-like aroma is underpinned by many of the same chemical compounds that lend rancid butter its distinctive flavour. Yet, these cheeses are celebrated the world over for their complex, captivating profiles.
This revelation led me to wonder: Why do we so readily embrace the funkiness of certain dairy products, while shunning the idea of intentionally aged butter? Could it be that, with the right approach, we might be able to harness the allure of smen and introduce it to a wider audience, much in the way that artisanal cheese makers have done with their creations?
Exploring the Smen Tradition
In my quest to uncover the secrets of smen, I found myself drawn to the rich culinary traditions of Morocco. Here, the practice of aging butter has been honed over centuries, resulting in a product that is prized for its unique flavour profile and revered as a symbol of wealth and status.
The traditional method of making smen involves mixing normal butter with an infusion of herbs, often oregano or thyme, and then allowing it to age for anywhere from a few months to several decades. The result is a butter-like substance with a texture similar to that of its unaged counterpart, but a taste that is decidedly more complex and intense – think blue cheese, Parmesan rind, and just a hint of spiciness.
The oft-recounted story is that families would make a batch of smen on the day their daughter was born, only to open it and stir it through the ceremonial couscous on the day of her wedding. This practice speaks to the deep cultural significance of smen, which was seen as a signifier of wealth and a symbol of the enduring bond between generations.
As I learned more about the traditions surrounding smen, I was struck by the stark contrast between its revered status in Morocco and the dismissive attitude it often elicits in the West. It seems that our cultural biases and preconceptions about what constitutes “good” and “bad” flavors can have a profound impact on our willingness to embrace new culinary experiences.
Challenging Preconceptions
To better understand the science behind smen’s distinctive flavour profile, I turned to the wealth of knowledge available in the Nordic Food Lab archive. Here, I discovered a fascinating exploration of the complex world of lipid rancidity and oxidation – the very processes that give smen its unique character.
According to the researchers, the flavour compounds found in rancid butter – such as butyric acid, which lends it that distinctive blue cheese-like aroma – are actually quite common in a wide range of beloved dairy products, from Roquefort to Limburger. And the very same oxidative processes that cause butter to spoil can also be harnessed to create complex, nuanced flavours in other fatty foods, from nuts to certain wines and spirits.
This revelation challenged my own preconceptions about rancidity, and made me wonder: Could it be that our aversion to the idea of aged butter is more a matter of cultural conditioning than a reflection of its actual sensory properties? After all, as the researchers noted, “perhaps many people’s attitudes to certain funky mildly rancid flavours are unnecessarily negative.”
With this newfound perspective, I began to explore the possibility of creating my own versions of smen, using a variety of Nordic ingredients in place of the traditional Moroccan herbs. The results were a mixed bag, to be sure – some experiments yielded flavours that were far too soapy or unpalatable, while others showed real promise.
The most successful of these trials involved infusing the butter with bladderwrack seaweed, which lent the smen a complex, blue cheese-like nuttiness that I found utterly captivating. Served melted over grains or used as a flavour enhancer in savoury dishes, this Nordic-inspired smen proved to be a revelation, challenging my preconceptions and opening my eyes to the vast potential of aged butter.
Embracing the Unexpected
As I continued to delve into the world of smen, I couldn’t help but be struck by the parallels between its journey and that of other beloved fermented and aged foods. Take the case of cheese, for instance – a product that was once viewed with suspicion and distaste by certain segments of the population, but has since been embraced as a gastronomic treasure trove, with each unique variety celebrated for its own complex and captivating flavour profile.
As the researchers at the Nordic Food Lab noted, the acceptance of rancid flavours in certain foods, like cheese, may have been facilitated by the relative abundance and availability of the raw materials – in this case, milk. Butter, on the other hand, was historically a luxury item, and people may have been less willing to let it age or develop unusual flavours.
But as the 19th century brought technological advancements that made cream more readily available, the stage was set for a shift in attitudes. Perhaps, I mused, the time is now ripe for a smen renaissance – a moment in which we can embrace the unexpected and celebrate the complex layers of flavour that this unique product has to offer.
And indeed, as I delved deeper into the culinary landscape, I began to find tantalising glimpses of this shift already underway. Chefs like Zak Pelaccio and Matt Lightner were already experimenting with aging butter, infusing it with local ingredients and developing flavour profiles that hinted at the rich potential of this oft-overlooked dairy product.
Perhaps, I thought, the time has come to introduce smen to a new generation of food enthusiasts here in the United States. With its complex, captivating flavour and its deep roots in Moroccan culture, smen could serve as a gateway to a wider appreciation of the beauty that can be found in the unexpected and the unconventional.
A Culinary Adventure Awaits
As I reflect on my journey through the world of smen, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. This unassuming dairy product has so much to offer, from its rich cultural history to its tantalising flavour profile, and I’m eager to share its wonders with the world.
At El Bahia, our Moroccan restaurant in the heart of New York City, we’ve already begun to incorporate smen into our culinary offerings, using it as a versatile ingredient that can elevate a wide range of dishes. From stews and roasted meats to grains and salads, the complex, blue cheese-like notes of smen add a depth of flavour that simply can’t be replicated.
But our exploration of smen is just the beginning. I’m confident that as more people are introduced to this captivating product, its popularity will continue to grow, and we’ll see a renaissance of interest in aged dairy products more broadly. Who knows what other culinary treasures await us as we embrace the unexpected and celebrate the complex layers of flavour that make the world of food so endlessly fascinating?
So, I invite you to join me on this culinary adventure. Come to El Bahia and experience the magic of smen for yourself, or experiment with it in your own kitchen. I promise, the journey will be well worth it.
