Jujube (nbag) amlou: a rare recipe from the Moroccan countryside

Nbag is the small fruit of the wild jujube, the same shrub that gives sidr honey. In the countryside we gather it in the forest and pound it in a mortar to make a rare amlou with a taste you won’t find in the city. In this video you see the whole day: from gathering the nbag to filling the jars.

Ingredients

• Dried wild jujubes (about 500 g)
• 250 g beldi almonds
• Beldi oil: argan oil or olive oil, depending on the texture you want
• Honey to taste (optional, nbag is already sweet)

Method

1. Gather ripe, dry jujubes and clean off leaves and thorns.
2. Pound them in a mortar to separate the flesh from the stones, then sift to keep only the powder.
3. Roast the almonds until golden and let them cool.
4. Grind the almonds into a paste that starts releasing its oil.
5. Mix the almond paste with the nbag powder and add the oil little by little until you get the texture you like.
6. Taste, add a little honey if you want it sweeter, and fill a clean, closed jar.

How it differs from regular amlou

Regular amlou is made with almonds, argan oil and honey. Jujube amlou adds nbag, which gives natural sweetness and a date-like taste. For regular amlou, see the homemade amlou recipe.

No nbag at hand?

We have ready-made beldi almond amlou, made the traditional way, with cash on delivery.