Smen

Smen (from Arabic: سمن or سمنة also called sman, semn, semneh, or sminn) is a salted, fermented butter native to North African cuisine (Algeria,[1][2] Morocco and Tunisia[3]), as well as a traditional Yemeni dish.

In Yemen, Yemenis prepare a special version of semneh (سمنة) which is smoked with aromatic herbs inside of a gourd in order to impart deeper flavour and aid in preservation.

The butter is brought to its boiling point for about 15 minutes, then skimmed, strained into a ceramic jar called a khabia, and salted before it curdles.

Smen is traditionally used mainly in the preparation of couscous and trid, as well as of tagines and kdras, although it has become more difficult to find due to an increased replacement by peanut oil, a non-native culinary element introduced from Senegal and other West African countries.

As such it will often be used as a token of honor for esteemed visitors to a household, akin to other cultures' customs such as using the "fine china" or serving an especially prized wine.