Considered as one of the most
diversified and sumptuous food, Moroccan cuisine offers a delightful
experience. There primary reason contributed to the diverse Moroccan
food is it's interaction with the outside world for centuries. Food
in Morocco has blended different cuisines from different cultures
like Moorish, Arab, Middle Eastern, Berber, Jewish, Iberian and
Mediterranean African.
Over different historical eras and
centuries the Moroccan cuisine was refined by the highly capable
cooks of the royal kitchens in Meknes, Fez, Marrakech, Tetouan and
Rabat. This refined cuisine laid the base for the modern Moroccan
cuisine.
History of Moroccan Cuisine
Morocco has been at the crossroad of
different civilizations, which has greatly influenced Moroccan food.
Today you will even find some of the best Moroccan recipes over the
internet but the truth is that nothing tastes like the Moroccanspices.
It is said that the history of Morocco
can be seen reflected in their cuisine. There has been different
settlements in Morocco, which has led to creation of a blended
cuisine that has many different flavors. There was a time when
political refugees came all the way from Baghdad, Iraq during the
Middle Ages to settle in Morocco. They brought with them the
traditional recipes, which have since become a part of the
traditional Moroccan cuisine. One of the signature characteristics of
this blend is the recipe where fruit is cooked with meat like
apricots with chicken.
An important part of Moroccan cuisine
is the ingredients used. Since Morocco produces Mediterranean
vegetables and fruits, they are used in the preparation of different
Moroccan recipes.
Moroccan Spices
Food in Morocco can't do without the
Moroccan spices. One of the biggest markets in Morocco for spices is
at Agadir and you can find spices in different colors and for
rendering a different taste. These spices are used in all Moroccan
recipes and render a taste that will remain with you for a lifetime.
The Moroccan spices have not existed in the country always, they were
initially imported from other countries over thousands of years.
Some of the popular Moroccan spices
include saffron that came from Tiliouine, olive and mint came from
Meknes, while lemons and oranges came from Fez. Some of the common
spices were also home grown like harissa, lakama, kamoun (cumin),
karfa (cinnamon), kharkoum (tumeric), libzar (pepper), skingbir
(ginger), tahmira (paprika), sesame seed, anis seed, kasbour
(coriander), zaafrane beldi (saffron) and maadnous (parsley).
The Great Moroccan Meal
You have to really taste the tanginess
and the spicy flavors of the Moroccan cuisine to understand why it is
so popular across the world. The most important part of the Moroccan
cuisine is the midday meal, which is not consumed in the holy month
of Ramadan. A Moroccan mid day meal will start with hot and cold
salads, and will be followed by tagine. Bread is the staple food of
every mid day meal. This is followed by chicken or lamb dish and then
a dish of couscous topped with vegetable and meat. At the end of the
meal, you will get to drink a cup of sweet mint tea, which is a part
of their tradition.
Couscous is the main Moroccan dish and
is considered to have been of Berber origin. The most commonly
consumed form of meat is beef although lamb is also preferred but
costs more than beef. There is also a growing importance of seafood
and is slowly becoming an important part of Moroccan cuisine.
Some of the popular as well as famous
Moroccan food recipes include Pastilla, Couscous, Tajine, Harira and
Tanjia. Harira is a soup, but it is an important part of the Moroccan
cuisine and is consumed mostly during the holy months of Ramadan.
Where you have rich food laced with
Moroccan spices, you will definitely have Desserts. Desserts in
Morocco don't necessarily have to be sweet although the sweeter it
is, the better it will be. One of the common desserts is the kaab el
ghzal or gazelle's horns. Of course that's just a name and you won't
get to eat any horns. Kaab el ghzal is a type of pastry with sugar
toppings and is stuffed with almond paste. Honey cakes are extremely
popular too and they are prepared by deep frying dough and dipping
them in hot honey and finally sesame seeds are sprinkled on the top.
Moroccan cuisine has a lot of variety
and also include drinks (Mint Tea) and snacks apart from their mid
day meal and to feel the real flavor of spice, you will have to taste
their traditional food.