The Colours & Flavours of The Moroccan Gastronomy
Marrakech introduced me to colour. . . although I was used to the light and the colours of North Africa, it was only later, when I discovered Morocco, that I understood my colours were those of zellige mosaics, zouacs, djellabas and caftans…
Yves Saint Lauren
Morocco, a country that steals its visitor’s hearts, its charming cities, its narrow streets full of history and its colourful souks rich in aromas and flavours conquer the heart of anyone who visits Morocco.
Moroccan gastronomy is one of the most popular, sophisticated, of great wealth and diversity, being a mixture of gastronomies of Berbers, Mediterranean, African, Moorish, Middle Eastern and even Sephardic cuisine. The Moroccan cuisine is considered to be cuisine for royalties, using expensive ingredients such as Saffron, pure honey, pistachios, almonds, Argan oil and much more.
Moroccan cuisine has also a great variety of humble dishes, however, in each house, there is a corner in the kitchen where they keep their most valuable ingredients.
Here are some of the most popular dishes of Moroccan cuisine:
- Couscous: Couscous is the most popular dish in Morocco, it is as famous as the Spanish paella or the Italian pizza. The main ingredient to make this dish is the small semolina balls that are steamed in a special container. Couscous is the star dish of every Friday at every home across the country. There are varieties of Couscous since it can be prepared with lamb, chicken or beef.
- Tajine: Tajine is another popular dish that is originally Berber, it is named for the clay container used to prepare the dish or the stewed dish itself. It can be veal with vegetables, chicken, fish, lamb, seafood or simply a mixture of vegetables with olives and Berber spices.
- Grilled chicken: It is a chicken full of flavour and colours thanks to the number of spices and seasonings used to make this dish. It is not a Sunday or a day-to-day dish, since they usually use the most expensive seasonings they have in their kitchens to prepare the Moroccan grilled chicken such as pure Moroccan saffron, Argan oil and other secret ingredients…
- Harira: This is the most famous Moroccan soup, very traditional and its main ingredient is the tomatoes. Harira is the star dish of all houses in the month of the holy Ramadan. Chickpeas or lentils are also one of the main ingredients in this soup, but it depends on the area of the country or what you have at home, you can add one thing or another. In the month of Ramadan, it is served with some dates also. Many people also add a good piece of beef to this soup to make it a whole meal, more complete and even more delicious.
In Morocco, it’s possible to see the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean at the same time…
Tahar Ben Jelloun
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