After our journey to Morocco final yr, we’re satisfied that Moroccan delicacies has develop into certainly one of our favourites. And no, it’s not simply because we fell completely in love with Moroccan Mint Tea!
There’s much more to get pleasure from at a Moroccan dinner desk than tea. The delicacies right here is famend for using complicated spices and herbs that make even probably the most fundamental dishes filled with flavour! It’s arduous to select only one specialty as the very best meals in Morocco, however listed here are just some of our favourites.
The Cultural Roots Of Conventional Moroccan Meals
This lovely North African nation has a layered historical past, and its many various cultural influences might be seen in Moroccan cooking. Initially house to the indigenous Berber individuals, Morocco has been settled and managed by cultures from outdoors the area. Now unbiased and reunified, Morocco has been influenced by Berber, European, Arab, Jewish, and sub-Saharan cultures.
Now, Moroccan tradition is certainly a melting pot, and proof of the nation’s historical past might be discovered on the dinner desk. Conventional Moroccan dishes like tagine are of Berber origin, Harira has roots in Arabic tradition, and Bastilla is a mixture of Spanish and Sephardic Jewish meals tradition.
Spices and herbs are necessary in Moroccan meals tradition, and you’re more likely to decide up flavours of ginger, saffron, turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin, amongst different aromatic seasonings like lemon juice Whereas spices and recent herbs are used liberally in Moroccan cooking, most dishes are usually not ‘spicy scorching’, however flavourful as an alternative. There are exceptions to this, and they’re primarily contained to condiments like spicy harissa sauce or a dipping sauce accompanying a dish.
Public sq. in Chefchaouen, Morocco
Tagine: The Poster Youngster For Moroccan Meals
Tagine or tajine is likely one of the hottest dishes in Morocco and is one that you’re assured to search out in any Moroccan restaurant. Tagine is traditionally a North African Berber dish that’s named after the tagine pot wherein it’s cooked. There are dozens of various tagine variations throughout the nation, every one is price sampling! Sure, that may imply that you might want to eat tagine every day to get via all of the sorts of this conventional Moroccan meals.
( In case you’re questioning, we did precisely that!)
Moroccan tagine cooking within the conventional tagine pot
Hen With Greens Tagine
Probably the most fundamental and customary certainly one of all of the tagine varieties is a straight-up hen with carrots and potatoes, with just a few bell peppers added to the combination. We discovered it to be the least flavourful and distinctive model.
Hen and greens tagine (on the left)
Beef Kefta Tagine
Beef Kefta was in all probability the second hottest tagine selection that we got here throughout throughout our time in Morocco. Kefta is basically floor meat (beef, lamb, and so on), generally rolled into meatballs and blended with spices, like garlic, coriander and parsley. If you happen to order a Beef Kefta Tagine anticipate it to style considerably much like floor beef, besides 10 instances higher because of the abundance of spices/sauces/goodness that it’s usually cooked in.
One other variation of the Beef Kefta features a fried egg added to the dish on the very finish of the cooking course of. We’d go for the Egg Beef Kefta over a daily Beef Kefta each time!
Beef kefta tagine served with bread and mint tea = Moroccan meals heaven!
One other model: beef balls and vegetable tagine
Egg and beef kefta
Lamb, Plums, And Eggs Tagine
Earlier than arriving in Morocco, we had been below the impression that Lamb is a staple in Morocco, however because it turned out, we had been fallacious. We struggled to search out lamb tagine on the menus in eating places throughout the nation, however once we did, boy, was it scrumptious!
Lamb, plum and eggs tagine
Lamb, Prunes And Almonds Tagine
Probably the most scrumptious, finger-lickin’ good number of tagine we had the pleasure of sampling in Morocco. There was one thing significantly yummy concerning the candy, crunchy, and spicy style of this unbelievable dish. It’s best eaten with a easy loaf of crusty bread, used to absorb all of the leftover juices.
This selection generally additionally got here with figs as an alternative of prunes.
Lamb, Prunes, and Almonds Tagine
Lamb, Figs, and Almonds Tagine – finger lickin’ good!
Couscous
Couscous is the second hottest dish present in Morocco. Identical to with Tagine, couscous can are available a variety of varieties, though hen with greens was, once more, the commonest one we encountered and one you’re more likely to see on a Moroccan desk. Couscous base is constituted of a standard North African semolina, which is steamed and served with meat and greens.
Couscous additionally has an necessary place in Moroccan tradition, and has for hundreds of years. It is not uncommon for Moroccan households to get collectively after Friday prayers and share a meal of couscous. You might discover that the streets are a bit quieter on Fridays, as most Moroccans are both headed to the mosque, or at house with their households.
Vegetarian couscous
Harira
Harira is a scrumptious soup constituted of flour, lentils, chickpeas, greens, and small quantities of meat. It’s generally served as a starter however can be eaten by itself as a major. We lucked out with our first style of harira and bought an opportunity to strive the home made model of it in Imlil.
Moroccan harira soup
Bastilla
The identify Bastilla comes from the Spanish phrase for pastry, or “pastilla” which, after being tailored into Arabic language noticed the transformation of “p” into “b”. Bastilla is made by layering skinny items of flakey dough between meat filling. Icing sugar is usually sprinkled on high for that good stability of candy and savoury. Whereas at the moment bastilla can include beef and hen, the standard recipe requires pigeon. We didn’t come throughout a pigeon bastilla throughout our time in Morocco, though maybe we did and simply didn’t find out about it.
Bastilla served with mint tea
Have a look inside…
Moroccan Blended Salad
Don’t be fooled by its identify; the Moroccan blended salad isn’t a aspect dish to order alongside your favorite tagine. This dish warrants your undivided consideration, so we made certain to order it as certainly one of our mains. And each time, the plate got here out with a superbly assembled mixture of potatoes, tomatoes, onions, corn, lettuce, rice, eggs and no matter else the prepare dinner would possibly’ve discovered within the kitchen that day.
Moroccan blended salad
Fish Chraime
This record wouldn’t be full and not using a fish dish, and this spicy, tomato-ey, garlicky fish stew is certainly price a point out. Centred round a agency white fish akin to cod or halibut, the stew is generously seasoned with cayenne, cumin, scorching pepper, and paprika. Fish Chraime is served with bread or on a mattress of rice, and the dish is particularly common with Moroccan Jews throughout Shabbat or holidays like Passover.
Taktouka
This easy, savoury dish is constituted of stewing tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, and paprika collectively. It’s normally garnished with recent parsley and served with crusty bread or as an accompaniment to meat or fish dishes. Truthfully, it might probably make for an ideal gentle meal simply with some freshly baked Moroccan bread! Whereas numerous conventional dishes incorporate meat, there are many veggie-based choices to eat in Morocco.
Zaalouk
One other vegetarian aspect dish that may simply be a meal in itself is zaalouk, a cooked eggplant salad that comes with tomatoes, numerous garlic, and olive oil. The combination is cooked right down to a dip-like consistency and flavoured with a great deal of spices and recent herbs like cumin, paprika, cilantro and parsley. Like taktouka, zaalouk is served with bread for dipping or as a aspect dish for fish, hen, or meat dishes. Splendidly easy however a few of the finest Moroccan meals we’ve tasted.
Moroccan Breakfast
There’s something to be stated a few conventional Moroccan breakfast served in numerous riads and lots of eating places throughout the nation. It’s easy, filling and really scrumptious. The essential system is mint tea, freshly squeezed orange juice, Moroccan bread, cheese, olive oil, olives, egg, jam, honey, and generally a little bit of meat.
Moroccan breakfast
Moroccan breakfast
Moroccan Pastries
In between meals, we mowed down on some scrumptious Moroccan pastries, the whole lot from mlawi and msemmen, pancake-like flatbreads, to extra conventional candy pastries with jam and sugar inside. And, shock, shock, they go very well with Moroccan Mint Tea!
Moroccan mint tea and pastry
Moroccan Avenue Meals
There are heaps to discover on foot, and also you don’t should stroll far down the streets of Morocco to search out distributors promoting all types of savoury snacks, candy treats, and refreshing drinks. Listed here are just a few that we sampled whereas we had been there.
Sardines
I do know that lots of people have robust opinions about sardines, however we love them. In Morocco, grilled or fried sardines are a avenue meals staple and excellent for whenever you’re on the go. The sardines are normally served with a spicy chermoula relish, and you’ll tuck just a few into bread for a tasty sandwich.
Chebakia
If you end up craving a candy deal with, preserve an eye fixed out for chebakia. This fried pastry is rolled to resemble a rose, after which drizzled with a combination of honey and orange blossom water. Completely different variations embrace a sprinkling of sesame seeds or utilizing rose water reasonably than orange blossom water for the glaze.
Almond Milkshake
Hottest throughout Ramadan, the Moroccan almond milkshake is made with blanched almonds, milk, honey, and a little bit of orange blossom water. Served good and chilly, it is a good refresher throughout a scorching afternoon.
For sure, our worries for the dearth of number of meals in Morocco by no means materialised. We left wanting extra and in the long run, determined to rank Morocco as certainly one of our favorite international locations visited final yr – a title largely attributed to good meals and wonderful mint tea.