Ras el hanout is a spice mix from North Africa. The term derives from an Arabic phrase meaning "head of the shop" - indicating the usage of the best spices available to the seller.

A recipe that uses ras el hanout might contain the most spices. This comes from a Moroccan term meaning "top of the shop" as referred to by the many spice merchants of North Africa.

Ras el Hanout is a spice blend used in Middle Eastern cookery. (In a similar way to how Garam Masala is a spice blend used in Indian cookery). You just sprinkle it into the dish, as it's cooking, like you would use any other spice. You can also rub it over meat as a dry marinade before cooking.

Ras El Agba's population is 2,348.

Ras el Matn's population is 10,000.