Oulmès-Zaër
(local/other name)

(most common name):
• Blonde des Plateux d’Oulmes et des Zaers
(transboundary/brand name):
• Brown Atlas
local/other name (English):
• Blond Moroccan
• Moroccan Blond
• Oulmès-Zaërs Blond
local/other name (French):
• Blond d’Oulmès-Zaër
• Blond d’Oulmès et des Zaërs
• Blond Zaërs
• Oulmes
• Oulmès Blond

The Oulmès-Zaër is one of the best developed breeds in Morocco. Originating on the Atlantic coast in the former Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region north of Casablanca, they are now found mainly southeast of Rabat (Morocco’s capital) in Oulmès, on the Zaër-Roumani plateau. (In September 2015, the regions of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer and Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen were merged to form the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region.)

The Oulmès-Zaër started as two varieties:
• Oulmès Blond - smaller, from the Middle Atlas mountainous areas
• Blond Zaërs - larger, from the plateau of Oulmès and Zaër

The Oulmès-Zaër is a hardy mountain breed that is also used as a suckler cow. Their meat is widely praised and consumed grilled, cooked as steak, in tajine (a North African stew) and with couscous and vegetables.

The Oulmès-Zaër is genetically close to the Tidili. SNPs have identified European taurine admixture and also N’Dama-type African taurine admixture. Their foreheads are wide and convex (as opposed to the flat forehead of the Brown Atlas). They have light-colored skin and usually a reddish-brown coat (darker in the bulls) but can also be blond and fawn.

This page was last updated on: 2023-08-09

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