Mediterranean Gourmet Ras El Hanout, 2.46 Ounce

The seasoning is good, but needs more curry powder. I made the combination once myself, and this version wasn't as good, but buying all the separate ingredients was outrageously expensive. For the price and convenience, this is great (but add some curry powder)

At the time of this review an almost three ounce canister of this spice is going for less than four bucks shipped if purchased as an add-on of an order that qualifies as super saver shipping. Of course it would not be a deal if the mix was badly done or the spices stale, which is not the case on either count. The mix, like any ras el hanout, is as individual as snowflakes, so expect the blend to reflect the unique recipe of the manufacturer. Personally I was more than satisfied with it. What I especially love is the quality of the spices that are blended into this mix. They are fresh (for ground spice anyway) and aromatic. Another big plus for me is this ships in a canister that tightly seals to keep the blend fresh. I personally use this blend to add 'secret' flavors to some of the food I prepare. For example, if I am making aloo palak (an Indian curry of potatoes and spinach) I mix this into the curry. A recent dish I used it is is an Italian-American fish stew from San Francisco called cioppino. I browned garlic, shallots and thinly sliced fennel bulb in olive oil, added shellfish, quarters of other fishes and their stock, thickened it with tomato paste. I cooked it until the stock reduced, and chopped tomatoes. I continued cooking with a touch of red wine and two tablespoons of this spice mix and red pepper flakes. Before serving I added a little sea salt and the meal was perfect. It kept my guests guessing what the secret ingredient was. Aside from Moroccan Berber and North African cuisines this spice would work perfectly with many Mediterranean, Persian and Indian dishes as well.

I just received mine today. It smells great, but unfortunately arrived without any sort of seal. So, I'm unsure as to whether this has been tampered with, etc. Will be returning the product.

I ordered this on 2/20/15. According to the date on the bottle, this is already a year old. There is a small strip of cellophane that did not do a good job of keeping the lid on. The top was easily slid off with the wrapper still on by my young daughter who was "helping" in the kitchen, and at least a tablespoon of spice mix spilled out. While I don't blame the manufacturer for my daughter's spillage, this obviously isn't tamper or spill proof. The box this was shipped in with the other spices I ordered had an overwhelming smell of this mix. I could smell it before I even opened the box, so it is obvious that air is getting in the container if spice is getting out. I didn't notice the pack date until after I used this, so I can't return it. This wasn't as spicy as I expected, which might be do to the staleness or the blend. I would say it was barely spicy and I don't like a lot of heat. People who are expecting this to be "spicy" spicy will probably be disappointed unless they get a fresher bottle. As a first time user, I can't compare this to other brands, but I thought it smelled wonderful and it tasted good despite its age. I used a healthy pinch of this with some zahtar, lemon juice, and olive oil to roast some golden potatoes and it tasted great.

and I'm a little disappointed. I had never had ras el hanout before finding it in the spice tower, but wow! I used it on pork and chicken and it was amazing. Sadly, this seems like a muddled down version. Not as spicy, not as warm and very finely ground. I really appreciated TJ's coarser ground blend. I'll use it, but I won't order again.

I tried this on pineapple I grilled, it was delicious. Can't wait to try it in more recipes.

Great quality to the spice blend. The container includes an ideal dispensing mechanism. It is a bit hard to explain-- there are holes that filter the volume of spice dispensed, but this is recessed so that you can catch a certain amount in a small tray before sprinkling it. Do wish there was more spice for the price, but it is very good quality.

I don't like the spice blend...there is some spice that just doesn't taste great in the food, so I recommend a different brand.