What is mahjoun?

For over a thousand years, the Berbers, or Amazighs, of Morocco have been enjoying a sweet-and-salty mixture of dates, nuts, honey, spices, and hashish. This sweet dish, which may have become the oldest cannabis-based recipe in the world, is known as mahjoun (or majoun).

This sweet-and-salty treat has also won over American and European expatriates who have traveled to Morocco, including notable writers such as William Burroughs, the Beat novelist behind *Naked Lunch*, and composer Paul Bowles, who used to hang out in Tangier in search of local delicacies.

Mahjoun enthusiasts appreciate its mild yet energizing effect, which generally sets in quickly compared to other edibles—within 20 to 30 minutes, according to several users.

Mahjoun can be enjoyed on its own or incorporated into more elaborate recipes, such as chocolate-hazelnut cakes or ravioli filled with pears and Mahjoun-spiced cheese.

The most legendary of all psychoactive candies

The traditional recipe for mahjoun is well known. It calls for a Moroccan specialty, haschich, but can also be made using another local specialty, the Marrakech butter.

Mahjoun Recipe for 24 balls

• 100 g unsalted butter
• 1 to 3 grams of hash. In terms of potency: 1 gram for 20-milligram balls, 2 grams for 40-milligram balls, 3 grams for 60-milligram balls, based on an average of 50% of THC per gram of hash
• 85g cashews (raw or lightly toasted, salted or unsalted)
• 85 g pistachios, shelled (raw or lightly toasted, salted or unsalted)
• 110g of almonds (raw or lightly toasted, salted or unsalted)
• 85g of Black Mission figs
• 110g Medjool dates
• 60 g of raw honey
• 5 cL of rose water
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 1 teaspoon of pink Himalayan sea salt

For the spice blend

• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon of finely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of dried lavender flowers

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C. Place the butter and powdered hash in a shallow Pyrex dish and heat on the middle rack for about 30 minutes to fully activate the THC.

2. While the hashish is heating, place the walnuts in a food processor and pulse gently until they’re finely chopped. Set aside 30g to coat the jam balls, and set aside.

3. Using kitchen shears or a paring knife, remove the stems from the figs. Carefully check the dates, removing any pits or shells. Cut them into small cubes and set aside.

4. Measure out the honey, rose water, and spices. Mix the spices together and set aside.

5. Remove the butter and hash mixture from the oven and place it in a medium saucepan on the stove over low heat. Add the flour and whisk until well combined. Continue cooking over low heat until it foams (4 to 5 minutes), stirring constantly until the roux is lightly golden, being careful not to burn the butter. Remove from the heat and add salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.

6. In a large bowl, combine the nuts and dried fruit, the roux, honey, rose water, and 1 ounce of the spice blend. With clean hands, knead the ingredients until they are well combined, smooth, and thick, with a slight sheen. If necessary, refrigerate for 25 to 30 minutes before moving on to the next step.

7. Using a small ice cream scoop or a measuring spoon, scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time and gently roll into balls. Coat the balls in the reserved finely ground nuts. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.