An Overview:
Moroccan cuisine is extremely diverse, thanks to Morocco's interaction with other cultures and nations over the centuries.
Morocco produces a large range of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables and even some tropical ones.
Common meats include mutton and lamb, beef, chicken, camel, rabbit and seafood, which serve as a base for the cuisine.
Characteristic flavourings include lemon pickle, cold-pressed, unrefined olive oil and dried fruits. Moroccan cuisine is also known for being far more heavily spiced than Middle Eastern Cuisine.
Common spices include karfa (cinnamon), kamoun (cumin), kharkoum (turmeric), skinjbir(ginger), libzar (pepper) , tahmira (paprika), anise seed, sesame seeds, qesbour (coriander), maadnous (parsley), zaafran beldi (saffron) and mint.
Main Dishes:
Bisteeya
Desserts:
Usually, seasonal fruits rather than cooked desserts are served at the close of a meal. A common dessert is kaab el ghzal ("gazelle's horns"), a pastry stuffed with almond paste and topped with sugar. Another is "Halwa shebakia", pretzel-shaped dough deep-fried, dipped into a hot pot of honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Drinks:
The most popular drink is green tea with mint. Traditionally, making good mint tea in Morocco is considered an art form and the drinking of it with friends and family is one of the important rituals of the day.
Moroccan cuisine is extremely diverse, thanks to Morocco's interaction with other cultures and nations over the centuries.
Morocco produces a large range of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables and even some tropical ones.
Common meats include mutton and lamb, beef, chicken, camel, rabbit and seafood, which serve as a base for the cuisine.
Characteristic flavourings include lemon pickle, cold-pressed, unrefined olive oil and dried fruits. Moroccan cuisine is also known for being far more heavily spiced than Middle Eastern Cuisine.
Common spices include karfa (cinnamon), kamoun (cumin), kharkoum (turmeric), skinjbir(ginger), libzar (pepper) , tahmira (paprika), anise seed, sesame seeds, qesbour (coriander), maadnous (parsley), zaafran beldi (saffron) and mint.
Main Dishes:
Bisteeya
A triple layered savory pastry: A layer of chicken is covered with a layer of eggs and a lemony-onion sauce and then topped with a layer of crushed almonds. Everything is wrapped in phyllo pastry and delicately covered with cinnamon and sugar.
Harira Soup
This traditionally Berber soup is usually served during the holy festival month of Ramadan. Also great for cold weather!
Mechoui
This roasted lamb dish is a great favorite! A paprika and cumin spice combination is pasted over the lamb and then it's slowly cooked for about three hours. Generally seasoned with cumin & salt.
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| kaab el ghzal |
Usually, seasonal fruits rather than cooked desserts are served at the close of a meal. A common dessert is kaab el ghzal ("gazelle's horns"), a pastry stuffed with almond paste and topped with sugar. Another is "Halwa shebakia", pretzel-shaped dough deep-fried, dipped into a hot pot of honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
The most popular drink is green tea with mint. Traditionally, making good mint tea in Morocco is considered an art form and the drinking of it with friends and family is one of the important rituals of the day.
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| A Moroccan tea set |
Moroccan tea pots have long, curved pouring spouts and this allows the tea to be poured evenly into tiny glasses from a height. For the best taste, glasses are filled in two stages. The Moroccans traditionally like tea with bubbles, so while pouring they hold the teapot high above the glasses. Finally, the tea is accompanied with hard sugar cones or lumps.
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