Moroccan food, one more reason to organize your trip
Moroccan food is so varied and tasty that tasting it represents one more reason to organize your trip to Morocco. Varied because it is different in each region. And tasty because its recipes, of great exoticism for Western palates, are rich in ingredients of unmistakable taste. Often with original sweet nuances. For this reason, on this page, we tell you in-depth what you will find on the table of your restaurant if you choose traditional dishes.
Tradition and History of Moroccan Gastronomy
Moroccan food cuisine began to take shape in the 14th century, in the palaces of the dominant Berber dynasties. And in their rich palatial kitchens, which were the means through which new recipes and ingredients were introduced. And they soon moved into domestic kitchens.
Women have traditionally been the great cooks of the country. Even today, in the palaces of the current monarch and in restaurant kitchens, women are the main protagonists. Today, the Royal Cooking School, founded by former King Hassan II in the Rabat palace complex. It continues the tradition and stands as the most prestigious place of learning for the country’s future chefs.
The local banquet, always with abundant Moroccan food, is called diffa and was also gestated in the palaces. It is an example of the talent of women in the kitchen. As they are in charge of preparing all the dishes. Weddings, births and religious festivities represent the main occasions for a celebration. Although generous diffas are also offered on the occasion of the return of the pilgrimage of the faithful who have visited Mecca.
On the other hand, a remarkable aspect of Moroccan cuisine is the abundance of its portions. However, the diner is not obliged to finish the entire portion of the dish. Even when he is a guest in a private home.
What is a banquet and typical Moroccan cuisine like?
Of course, banquets are not organized every day. So it is important to differentiate between a special celebration and a common Moroccan meal.
What a typical banquet looks like
At a banquet, diners are seated on plush seats with multi-colored cushions. And numerous dishes are arranged on low round tables, before the typical bastela or empanada is served.
The tajines are next of interest in Moroccan cuisine and hence these banquets. Including variants with various constituents, are not normally absent will see below.
The dishes are flavored with herbs and spices. Rosewater and orange blossom water are some examples. Sesame seeds and toasting almonds are also spread over the surface. Couscous follows, with at least two different versions. And finally fruit platters are served over ice, concluding with mint tea, served with great ceremoniousness.
This is what a typical Moroccan food looks like
The dishes we have mentioned and many others passed from the palace kitchens to the humblest over the centuries. This made Moroccan cuisine acquire a formidable reputation.
In Morocco the main meal of the day is mostly eaten at midday. The exception being the holy month of Ramadan. It is common to eat with the hands. So food is usually taken with one hand (the right one, as the left one is considered hygienic). And with the other one the bread is taken, which is traditional in all meals. Serving also as an aid to eating and as a complement of flavor in each dish.
The Moroccan midday meal, which is the main meal, usually begins with a salad. Followed by a popular tajine dish and in the middle or at the end of the meal ‘Moroccan tea’ is served. At the end, the menu may be complemented with some seasonal fruit or a small dessert filled with almond paste and sprinkled with white sugar.
Typical Moroccan Products and food
To know in detail the Moroccan cuisine, nothing better than to describe several of its typical dishes. They are easy to find in the traditional restaurants of the country.
Let’s start with the bastela. The famous pigeon pie with which you whet your appetite at banquets. But which can be eaten at any other menu or occasion. It was created many years ago in palace kitchens. It is considered one of the most important culinary contributions of Moroccan cuisine.
Another of the most common dishes is the tajine or tajine, which can actually be eaten in many ways. The most common are meat, chicken and fish. But to which you can also add other ingredients to achieve a sweet taste based on fruit and honey, such as:
chicken tajín, lemon and olives
chicken tajine with apricots and honey
lamb tajine with eggs and almonds
lamb tajine with dates
beef tajine with apples and raisins
whole fish tajine stuffed with dates and almonds and topped with a layer of almonds.
In addition to this wealth of ingredients, another fascinating aspect of this dish is the way it is served. In a wide, shallow, glazed earthenware dish. A characteristic conical lid is added to it to keep the heat and steam in after cooking. Preventing the food from cooling and drying out.
Couscous is not far behind in terms of popularity and taste. As it is undoubtedly one of the national dishes of Moroccan cuisine. It is a fine semolina that is accompanied by a stew. The most common with lamb that can also be sweetened with fruit and honey.
As for the drink, the most popular is mint tea or Moorish tea. Its importance goes beyond the taste, as it is the symbol of Moroccan hospitality. It is drunk all year round, even in summer, to equalize the body temperature to the ambient temperature and also has diuretic, toning and digestive properties. It is prepared with water, green tea, mint or peppermint and brown sugar.
Moroccan sweets also deserve to be highlighted in the Moroccan Gastronomy. For this we will prepare a section of the web dedicated to them due to their variety.
It should be noted that Moroccan law allows the sale of alcohol under authorization. However, drinking alcohol is frowned upon, although it is not forbidden by law
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