← Regional guidePantry guide

Maghreb & West Africa Pantry

These are ingredients that unlock recipes already on Fringe Table, not a claim that one pantry represents all of North and West Africa.

Couscous & semolina

Choose medium-grain couscous for platter-style dishes and fine semolina for Moroccan harcha.

Harissa

A Tunisian and broader Maghrebi chile paste useful in lablabi and as a table condiment.

Egusi

Ground melon seeds thicken and enrich Nigerian egusi soup; they are not replaced well by ordinary pumpkin seeds.

Red palm oil

Distinctive in many West African dishes. Use culinary red palm oil, not cosmetic products.

Millet

Millet couscous or granules are central to thiakry's texture.

Dried sorghum leaves

A characteristic ingredient in waakye, valued for color and flavor.

Fenugreek & ras el hanout

Useful in Moroccan cooking, especially rfissa and aromatic couscous preparations.

Peanuts

Natural peanut butter works well in the site's West African groundnut-stew adaptation.

Use the regional guide to see how these ingredients connect to specific dishes.