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 Moroccan spices.
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.
Moroccan food has also been influenced greatly by Morisco or the Muslim
refugees who were thrown out of Spain preceding the Spanish inquisition.
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. Poultry, cattle and fish
is also in abundance in Morocco and hence they have become an integral
part of the country's cuisine.
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
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. Although 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.