Traditional Cuisine in Morocco
Favourite Spices, Couscous and Tagine, Healthy Desserts and Mint Tea
May 2, 2009
Traditional cuisine in Morocco has its roots in the ancient imperial cities and is based on the staple Arab diet. Add a touch of Andalusia, fish fresh from the coast, a sprinkling of spices and the French love of salads and pastries, and Morocco offers an unexpected gourmet treat.
Couscous, tagines, spices or mint tea, fragrance lingers through the streets, the hallmark of every village or town whether dinner is served at home, in a palatial restaurant or outdoor stalls. The Djema el Fna in Marrakech is one of the great eating venues where locals enjoy chick peas or Harira soup on the square while less adventurous visitors dine on tagine or chicken and egg pie on a terrace with a view.
Favourite Moroccan Spices
Every food market displays mounds of colourful spices, in neat pyramids or buckets and tins, sold by weight in paper bags. Spices are the mainstay of a Moroccan kitchen, some imported from the East, others like cumin, coriander or saffron, grown at home in the lush Berber valleys.
In the traditional cuisine of Morocco, spices are used sparingly, simply to bring out the flavour of vegetables and meat, or add a slight tang to desserts and cakes. Favourite Moroccan spices include saffron, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, turmeric and ginger but top of the range is ras el hanout, a mix of over 20 spices guaranteed to enhance any savoury dish. Blending spices is an art and the secret of all good Moroccan cooks.
Couscous and Tagines
Couscous is a classic Berber dish of semolina wheat grain, topped with meat and vegetables. A good couscous should be light and fluffy and the skill lies in careful steaming. There are many variations, most popular the seven-vegetable couscous with carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin, courgettes, onion, turnips and peppers.
Tagine is the national dish, a vegetable stew with meat or fish flavoured with spices, olives, almonds and raisins. Vegetables are layered according to cooking times in a conical terracotta pot and left to simmer on a low heat. Only the cook can remove the lid when fragrance indicates the tagine is ready. Some say there are as many tagines as there are cooks but every dish is a treat, aromatic and full of flavour.
Couscous and tagines can be served with unleavened bread and fresh salad with a dash of argan oil.
Healthy Moroccan Desserts and Mint Tea
Moroccans love sweet pastries, often coated in almonds, sesame or honey, but the abundance of fresh fruit means there are plenty of vitamin rich options from apples to strawberries or melon and above all citrus fruit. Most appetising are the thin orange slices, neatly arranged on a plate, dusted with cinnamon and flavoured with orange blossom. Other healthy desserts include milky puddings sprinkled with saffron or sesame seeds.
Mint tea is served all day long, traditionally from a finely chiselled silver pot held high above the waiting glass. It’s a treat for all the senses, poured like liquid gold on freshly picked mint leaves .It may be a little sweet for some but on a hot day, it’s the most refreshing brew.
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