Moroccan cuisine

Herbs and spices, popular in moroccan cuisine

One of the most popular spice mixes in Morocco consists of:

– dried ginger;

– cumin;

– black pepper;

– ground turmeric;

– salt.

Именно попурри этих пряностей кладут почти в каждый тажин и добавляют в кус-кус. Вообще в Марокко тмин одна из самых популярных приправ, a saucer with it is served along with a salt shaker and a pepper shaker. Another popular spice is cinnamon. They put her in tagines, pastille - traditional puff pastry, fruit salads.

Saffron is also widely used, cardamom, sesame, paprika, anise and cloves. The most popular herbs in Moroccan bazaars are parsley and cilantro. Together with them, mint is often put in various dishes., thyme and marjoram.

Thyme, well known and loved in Mediterranean cuisine, only in Morocco they are used to add new nuances of taste not only to the first and second courses, but also desserts.

Main dishes

Tajine is the most traditional of all Moroccan dishes. It is literally the calling card of the kingdom. Sold and served as in street food trays, and in elite restaurants. Tajine is a stew, characterized by a special way of cooking in the ceramic pot of the same name. Tableware, in which the cooking process takes place, consists of a wide plate and a tapered lid. This method allows the use of a minimum amount of water., what, you know, is a huge plus for arid Morocco.

There are hundreds of varieties of tajin cooking in the country.. Most recipes include meat and vegetables, who languish on low heat, thus, keeping tenderness and juiciness. A special approach to the choice of seasonings - the highlight of the tagine. Cinnamon is often used, ginger, cumin and saffron. Sometimes dried fruits and nuts are added. However, regardless of the set of ingredients, you will be overwhelmed by the incredible spicy aroma and juiciness of lamb meat, chicken or fish.

couscous. Main North African product, popular with accessibility and versatility. The dish is prepared weekly in all Moroccan homes and consumed from one large plate. Often stewed with vegetables, meat of a young lamb or calf is served with steamed wheat grains.. Couscous with chicken is common. Sometimes it is served with a vegetable stew, caramelized onions or for dessert - with raisins, prunes and figs.

Hariri. If you've heard of Berber cuisine, but haven't decided yet, что попробовать в Марокко истинно аутентичного, give preference to this dish. Thick soup is not considered a main course in Morocco, but it is often used as a snack. The recipe for the treat varies by region, but the composition is unchanged meat, tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas and spices. Seasoned with turmeric and lemon juice.

Zaalyuk. Juicy eggplant is considered a key ingredient in many dishes in Morocco.. Warm salad popular throughout the country was no exception.. The recipe is based on stewed eggplant and tomatoes., seasoned with garlic, olive oil and coriander. Paprika and caraway seeds give the dish a peculiar smoked flavor. The treat is often served as a side dish with kebabs or tajins.. But a completely different taste has a zaalyuk, if served on a traditional Moroccan flatbread.

Bastilla. A savory cake of Arabic and Andalusian origin, by analogy with Spanish pastilla, translates as "little cookie". Bastilla is made from puff pastry sheets, between which the filling is placed. The top of the cake is often dusted with sugar., cinnamon, ground almonds. The original recipe for the dish was based on the meat of young pigeons., but due to the high cost of the product, it was replaced with chicken and veal. You can't find pigeon pie today, but even the alternatives are salivating due to the spicy aroma and balanced sweet-salty taste.

Street food. Resist the temptation to eat something fried and scented throughout the area, only very well-fed or overly fastidious tourists can do it. The rest will certainly want to have a bite to eat at local fast food. Maakuda - fried potato balls or omelet - served with a special sauce. On request, you can try different types of kebabs and sardines

Real culinary extremists should pay attention to the sheep's head. You will see, that it is not only edible, but also delicious!

Traditional Moroccan cuisine

so, and what is the basis of the Moroccan table? Today it – vegetables and fruits (especially a lot of citrus fruits), meat and seafood, cereals and spices.

Despite, that Africa is usually associated with desert lands, this is not true. Although there are many deserts here, but there is also enough fertile land in Africa. Morocco is no exception - you can buy fresh herbs all year round at the local market., vegetables and fruits.

Olives are grown in Morocco. The most famous are the olives from Marrakech and Meknes.. Most of them are exported, although Morocco also uses them - as an ingredient in many dishes and for preparing snacks.

Citrus fruits are the pride and lucrative source of state income. Beans are also loved here. Moreover, legumes in Morocco are used by a huge number. For example, peas. In Morocco, food ideas are so common peas, so chickpea, and large-fruited bush. And then there are lentils, soybeans and beans.

Moroccans have known grain for a long time and for wheat, barley and millet have their place of honor in her kitchen. But rice appeared here relatively recently - only French conquerors brought it to Morocco..

Overview

Topographic map of Morocco

Morocco is located in the north of Africa; for territory southwest of Morocco there is a territorial dispute with Mauritania and the partially recognized SADR. Geographically Morocco is divided into plains, the mountains (mainly represented by the Atlas system) and the Sahara Desert; in most areas there is a significant variation in temperatures during the day. Wheat is cultivated on fertile plains, corn, vegetables and fruits, and also raise sheep, goats, cows and chickens.

Берберы — исконные обитатели Марокко и всего Магриба, however, in the 7th century, the Arabs pushed them back and gradually Islamized the territory of what is now Morocco. Arabs brought cinnamon to Moroccan cuisine, ginger, saffron, cumin and cumin; mixing sour and sweet tastes; as well as the manner of adding honey to meat dishes, sugar, fruits and dried fruits. Другие древние источники влияния на Марокканскую кухню — Финикия, Carthage, Rome and Byzantium. On the other hand, there is no Turkish influence in Moroccan cuisine (Марокко — единственная крупная арабская страна, never part of the Ottoman Empire), because of what Moroccans don't eat any baklava, no stuffed vegetables.

Chicken in gold placers

The main cereal in Morocco is couscous. Since ancient times, it has been prepared by hand using a rather painstaking method.. First, the wheat grains were ground into flour and moistened, then rolled into tiny balls and dried for a long time in the sun. This is how the universal ingredient was made., which was added to salads, soups, side dishes and even desserts. This cereal today often replaces bread for Moroccans in everyday life.. However, and the holidays are not complete without it. Here is the recipe for couscous, which can be served at a dinner party.

Ingredients:

• Couscous - 400 g.
• Chicken - 1 carcass.
• Bulgarian pepper - 3 PCS.
• Red onion - 2 heads.
• Olive oil - for rubbing + 1 Article. l. for couscous.
• Cover, paprika, cumin, coriander, black pepper - ½ h each. l.
• Coarse salt - ½ h. l.
• Зеленый горошек свежий — 200 g.

We cut the chicken carcass into portions, rinse and dry. We mix all the spices and salt, knead a little with a pestle. We rub fragments of a bird with them, grease with olive oil and leave to nourish for an hour.

Place the chicken in a baking dish and place on 60 minutes in the oven at 180 ° C. Remember to turn the meat over from time to time. After half an hour, we clean the peppers from tails and seeds, cut into strips, lay out on a baking sheet, sprinkle with oil and put in the oven too. Place the chicken under the grill., and vegetables - from below.

Finally, let's get to the couscous. We wash the cereals in water, pour in a deep bowl 800 ml of boiling water, add olive oil and salt. Cover the bowl with a plate and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Lightly blanch the green peas in boiling salted water. Serve Roasted Chicken with Crumbly Couscous and Green Peas.

Main ingredients

Тажин с оливками — характерное Марокканское блюдо

The average Moroccan gets 2/3 calories from cereals, mostly wheat, as well as barley. Wheat is used to make couscous, bread, pastries, it is added to soups and porridge is made from it (in addition to wheat, there are also barley soups and cereals). Couscous is so important in Moroccan cuisine, that in the central part of the country it is often called simply "food". Rice as a side dish on Moroccan tables rare, puddings are made from it and stuffed with poultry and pies. Legumes are an important source of protein: lentils, chickpeas and garden beans: they are added to stews, they make spreads out of them.

Наиболее часто используемое мясо в Марокканской кухне — баранина и курятина, as well as pigeon meat; fishing in coastal areas. Beef and veal are more popular, than in other Arab countries. Milk is found mainly in the form of kefir, , or soft sheep cheese, cow, or goat milk; yogurt is unpopular.

Излюбленные Марокканцами жиры — оливковое и топлёное сливочное масло (shifts). Spices are added to the shift and kept for several months. Argan oil is popular in the southern regions and among wealthy Moroccans..

Популярные в Марокко овощи — помидоры, Bell pepper, zucchini, artichokes, cauliflower, fennel bulbs, less popular are eggplants, leafy vegetables, cabbage, turnip and pumpkin. Of the fruits on the Moroccan table, grapes are most often seen (fresh or raisin), plums, peaches, apricots, quince, grenades, lemons and oranges. Lemons are fermented and added to salads and stews. Olives are extremely popular, and they are eaten not only as a snack, but also added to dishes.

Many herbs are added to Moroccan dishes, especially coriander, and seasonings.

Snacks and fast food

Food stall at Jama – ale – Fna

Fast sale – street food has long been a tradition, and the best example is Jama – ale – Fna in Marrakech . Beginning with 1980 – s, new restaurants eateries began serving "Bocadillo" (and the spanish word for sandwich ). Although the composition of bocadillo varies by region, it, usually, baguette filled with salad and meat selection, fish, mozzarella (usually tuna), or omelet.

Dairy product stores locally called Mhlaba, very common throughout the country. These dairy shops usually offer all types of dairy products. , juices , as well as local delicacies , such as the (Sandwiches, Msemen и Harcha ).

Another popular street food in Morocco is snails , which are served in their stew in small bowls and eaten with a toothpick.

Moroccan snails

In the end 1990 – s, several multinational fast food franchises open restaurants in major cities.

Typical dishes

Tea, poured from a height

Cheese is served for breakfast, bread, bean paste and baked goods: pancakes or bagrir pancakes, puff products ; The usual breakfast drink is Maghreb mint tea: green, with a lot of sugar and, sometimes, orange blossom. Обед — самая плотная трапеза дня, she includes soup, several salads, chicken, mutton or fish tagine with couscous and fruit, or dried fruits, and also bread. Thick soups are served for dinner, also in the evening on the Moroccan table you can see salads, couscous and tagines.

Couscous is usually served with lamb tagine with raisins and chickpeas, however, in the coastal regions it is replaced by fish tagine with turnip, а в столице имеется собственная разновидность — в баранину добавляют карамелизованный лук и мёд. Also popular is "couscous with seven vegetables" (fr. couscous with seven vegetables): carrots, onions, turnips, tomatoes, bell pepper, zucchini and pumpkin. Regional varieties of couscous vary in size: small northern couscous, южный — крупный.

Мятный чай — важнейший Марокканский напиток, they drink it as if for no particular reason, so with guests, in the latter case, making tea involves pouring it from a teapot into a glass from a meter height. Tea is served with sweets, in particular, "Kab al-Ghazal", small cookies with grated almonds.

На праздники подают пастиллу — пирог из слоёного теста, stuffed with pigeons, almonds and eggs. Pastilla came to Morocco from Spain or in the 16th century with the exiled Moriscos, either earlier. In northern regions of Morocco, lemons are added to pastilla, а на юге — подслащивают.

Другое популярное праздничное блюдо — жареный целиком на вертеле ягнёнок, ; in cities, instead of a whole lamb, they often roast pieces of lamb.

refreshments

Usually every Moroccan lunch traditionally starts with a snack, which are called here "meze" («mezze»). Snacks are served on small plates. Salads are seasoned with spices and olive oil.

Moroccan salad. tomatoes, cucumbers, green pepper, olives and boiled potatoes. Other vegetable salads are also popular., including carrot salad with cilantro, sweet pepper salad with cucumbers and roasted sweet pepper salad.

Shergi. Rice salad with radish, parsley, sweet pepper, olives and citrus (eg, lemon and orange). The composition of the salad in each restaurant may vary slightly.. In some places it is even served without rice..

Batinjaan. Salad with fried eggplant and oranges, seasoned with tomato sauce. Tabouleh. Traditional oriental snack, home to Lebanon and Syria. The salad is made from bulgur or couscous, mint, chopped parsley and tomatoes. Usually served lukewarm.

The largest portion of tabouleh was made in 2006 year in the Palestinian city of Ramallah. She weighed over one and a half tons. This record got into the Guinness Book of Records.

Cous cous (the most popular cereal in Morocco) -these are small balls of semolina, diameter 1-2 mm.

Hummus. Chickpea puree (chickpea), seasoned with sesame or olive oil, garlic and lemon juice.

Falafel. Balls fried in oil (or cutlets) pea puree.

Onion. Pickled white beans with spices. Harissa. This is a spicy paste, which is made from hot pepper, garlic, olive oil and salt.

Salted lemons. This citrus recipe is only found in Morocco.. This way of harvesting allows you to eat lemons throughout the year.. When cooked, the lemon pulp becomes jelly-like., and the crust is tender and soft. These lemons have a more intense aroma..

further reading

Book recipe

• Connaître la cuisine Moroccan , by Lillian COMMON, Editions SudOuest, 1999 (in French). ISBN 978-2-879-01335-0
• Cooking in the Kasbah: Recipes from my Moroccan cuisine , Kitty morse, Laurie Smith ISBN 0-8118-1503-X
• Kous and Others Go Food from Morocco , by Paul Wolfert, Гаэль Грин ISBN 0-06-091396-7
• kitchen – where – Pale d’Orient , Ален Mordelet ISBN 2-87678-868-3
• Food Morocco: Authentic Recipes from the North African Coast , по Фатеме Hal ISBN 962-593-992-X
• The smell of orange: Sephardic cuisine from Morocco , Kitty morse, Оуэн Морзе ISBN 1-58008-269-6
• Traditional Moroccan cooking: Recipes from Fez , мадам Guinaudeau ISBN 1-897959-43-5

Riyadh el-Qadi, Moroccan culinary school

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We learned all about, how to cook Moroccan food in Riyadh, during our cooking course on a sunny and warm day.

When we entered the yard, we were greeted with mint tea and big smiles.

Then we sat down at the table, filled with pistachios, olives and pastries, and put it next to another table, filled with all the ingredients, essential for today's cooking lesson.

No need to rush and get to work, it's time to sit down, relax and have a cup of tea.

Riyadh el-Qadi

Riyad – this is a traditional Moroccan house with a courtyard.

Some more, than others, depending on the wealth of families, to which they belonged, and today most are turning into guesthouses and hotels.

Riyadh El Qadi is one of the largest in Marrakech and clearly belonged to someone very wealthy. You can get lost, walking the back corridors and corridors of this place.

Riyadh Beds

While we roasted the most delicious olives on earth, chef Hasan came out, to prepare a daily menu for us.

They showed a lot of spices and vegetables, which we will add to our dishes, and we couldn't wait, to start.

A sip of mint cool

От жары в Марокко спасаются холодным зеленым чаем. Traditionally it is drunk in huge quantities., but in small cups no more 120 ml. And they brew it in a tin teapot with a long spout.. A special kind of mint must be put into the drink - maramia from the sage genus. Usually, tea is served at the end of a long hearty meal. According to the Moroccans, it helps to better digest heavy foods. They don't skimp on sugar, but lemon is neglected. Here is a classic mint green tea recipe.

Ingredients:

• Green tea - 4 no. l.
• Filtered water - 750 ml.
• Sugar - 50-60 g.
• Fresh mint - 4-5 sprigs.

We wash the mint under water and dry thoroughly. Pour boiling water over the teapot, put dry tea leaves and mint on the bottom. We fill them 250 ml of hot water with a temperature not exceeding 90 ° C, cover with a lid, wrap with a terry towel, leave on 10 minutes. Then pour the remaining water into the kettle, pour sugar and stir well. Let the drink cool completely, put it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Serve Moroccan Green Tea in Glasses with Ice Cubes and Fresh Mint Leaves.

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Vegetable food

Morocco grows a wide range of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables, as well as a number of tropical.

Meat and fish

The main types of meat are beef, mutton, chicken and seafood.

A lot of fish are eaten in Morocco, especially sardines. Not surprising, as Morocco is the world's largest producer of sardines.

Spice

Spices are widely used in Moroccan food. Традиционные специи Марокканской кухни: cover, tmin, turmeric, ginger, pepper, paprika, sesame seeds, coriander, saffron, mace, carnation, dill, anise, nutmeg, oregano, Cayenne pepper, laurel.

Chermula (Chermoula) - the famous Moroccan marinade. This seasoning with specific spices and herbs accompanies all types of fish, as well as many other recipes, hot or cold. In the classic version, chermula is a mixture of cilantro, cumin, parsley, garlic, peppers, lemon and olive oil. Some add turmeric and chili to the marinade for a brighter, hotter sauce..

Harissa (Harissa) - Tunisian hot chili paste, in Moroccan cuisine, usually used in the preparation of tajins and other dishes.

Sweet desserts

Another attraction, vividly characterizing the cuisine of Morocco, is the presence in it of a huge amount of sweets. maybe, this is the influence of Arab traditions, but deliciously prepared dishes delight representatives of all countries, without exception. And how can you give up sweets?, made from nuts and honey with added fruits and spices?

The favorite drink of Moroccans is mint green tea., to which sugar is necessarily added. From other drinks in Moroccan taverns you can find very strong coffee with cardamom. Being a Muslim country, Morocco does not favor fans of more strong drinks too much. And although alcohol, if desired, can be bought in special stores, locals are more supportive of those tourists, which make do with mint tea.

They will also be happy to teach hookah smoking. (in Morocco this is a very common occupation). But before that, how to "surrender" to this occupation, следует получше узнать о сущности кальяна.

All dishes of Moroccan cuisine are original and interesting. Prepare them carefully, slowly and without haste, putting all my heart into

But, despite all the variety of Moroccan dishes, you need to get used to them gradually and carefully

Tajine with African motives

Moroccans borrowed a lot from the Berbers, indigenous people of North Africa. It was they who began to use tagine for cooking.. This is a special clay pot with a tall domed lid. Due to the unusual shape during the extinguishing, an intensive circulation of steam is created inside, which envelops every piece of meat or vegetables, making them soft and juicy.

The dish itself is also called tagin., which is the result. In the Moroccan tradition, this is most often the most tender lamb with dried fruits in a thick sauce, chicken with green olives and salted lemons, duck with dates and honey or white fish with plenty of herbs and fresh tomatoes. We suggest trying this recipe for tagine.

Ingredients:

• Beef pulp - 500 g.
• Nut - 200 g.
• Soda - ½ h. l.
• Onion - 2 middle heads.
• Large carrots - 1 PCS.
• Pumpkin - 300 g.
• Bulgarian pepper - 1 PCS.
• Cherry tomatoes - 8-10 pcs..
• Vegetable oil - 3-4 tbsp. l.
• Garlic - 3-4 cloves.
• Salt, black pepper, paprika, ground ginger - to taste.
• Fresh herbs - for serving.

As usual, start with chickpea. Soak it overnight, then boil with the addition of soda. While the peas are cooking, heat tagine with vegetable oil and fry the diced beef. Add the crushed garlic, onion rings and carrot strips. Once the meat is well done, pour the pumpkin, chopped into large slices. Season the mixture with salt and spices, pour in some water, cover with a lid, simmer over low heat until cooked. At the end, we interfere with the chickpeas that have been boiled by this time. Serve the stew directly in the tagine, garnished with whole cherry tomatoes and parsley petals.

Traditional dishes

Bread

Хлеб также является обязательным продуктом. Furthermore, some dishes Moroccans eat without appliances, using bread instead of a spoon.

Hubza - round, flat, crispy, a tortilla is present at every meal.

Malvi (Malwi) - puff pastry flat cakes, cooked in a pan.

Msemen (Msemen) - another kind of soft cakes made of thin puff pastry, which are fried in a pan.

Batbut (Batbout) - Moroccan bread, analogue of pita bread with that difference, that the batboot is cooked in a pan on the stove, and the pita is baked in the oven. Ideal for breakfast and making sandwiches. Its other names are mkhamer (mkhamer), toghgrift (toghrift) or matlu (elephants).

Food (Harcha) - thick round cakes, made from semolina (semolina) with butter or olive oil.

Excavator (Baghrir) - Moroccan pancakes with many holes on the surface. Prepare them from semolina, served with butter and honey or without anything.

Soups

Hariri (Harira) - famous Moroccan tomato soup, legumes, cilantro and lots of spices. Harira is especially popular during Ramadan..

Main dishes

Daphne (laurels) - a traditional dish of Moroccan Jews, which is prepared on Shabbat. This is a complex beef dish, which is stewed with potatoes for the whole night, nutom, eggs, rice and wheat.

Pastilla (Pastilla) - traditional Moroccan puff pastry pie stuffed with spiced pigeon meat, almonds, cinnamon and sugar. It is widespread in the Maghreb countries, and also in Algeria and Tunisia. In modern recipes, chicken is usually used instead of pigeon meat., fish or offal.

Married sardines (Sardines) - the traditional Moroccan way of preparing sardines with cherry marinade.

Dolma karnun (Stuffed qarnoun) - artichokes, stuffed with ground lamb, served with meat stew and chickpeas.

Duara (Douara / Dwara) — рагу из бараньих потрохов со специями.

Tajin (Tagine) - an old North African dish. In Moroccan cuisine, it is prepared in a special clay pot of the same name.. Tajine has a tapered cover, которая позволяет удерживать пар внутри горшка в процессе приготовления. Поскольку вода является ценным ресурсом в сухом климате Северной Африки, tajin allows you to cook a meal with a minimum amount of additional water, and mostly use water, contained in ingredients, including onions. There are a number of meats, which can be cooked in tajin: chicken and other poultry (pigeons or quails), and also veal, mutton, fish. В зависимости от способов приготовления мяса в Марокко выделяют два основных вида таджинов:

• Mhammer (Mhammer) - meat can be pre-fried on the stove, но в конечном итоге оно всегда запекается в духовке с топленым маслом (together).
• Mkuali (Mqualli) — мясо готовится на плите с растительным маслом и подается с соусом.

Tajin al gezar (Tagine al guezar) - the name means "butcher's pot". Beef tripe dish with caraway seeds and paprika, которое готовится почти 10 hours on low heat on hot coals. In Morocco, tajin al gesar is cooked during Passover (Easter).

Shakshuka (Shakshuka) - a popular dish of eggs and tomatoes among Maghreb Jews.

Salads and snacks

Tactics (Taktouka) — пикантный Марокканский салат, made with baked peppers and tomatoes.

Zaaluk (Zaalouk) - Moroccan eggplant salad, cooked with cumin and olive oil.

desserts

Sfeng (Sfenj) - traditional Moroccan puffed donuts, which are usually served on Hanukkah.

Corn de Gazelle (Cornes From Gazelle) - Crescent-shaped cookies popular in Morocco. They are prepared from the finest dough and filled with marzipan filling..

How and what to eat in Morocco

The most popular soup in Morocco is harira. Its recipes vary depending on the region and season., but the basis is always meat - beef, mutton, chicken, tomato, bow, lentils and chickpeas with flour dressing.

Tazhin (tajin) в Марокко называют и блюдо, and traditional dishes, in which it is prepared. This amazing construction of a low earthen pot and a lid in the form of a sharp dome, allows food to cook evenly, and the whole aroma is condensed in vapors, collecting on the tagine lid in the form of drops, whom the inexorable law of gravitation forces to return to the dish again.

Anything can be turned into tagine, put meat and fish there, vegetables and fruits. Some typical tagines are made from lamb and nuts, lamb with prunes and almonds, chicken with olives and canned lemons.

Each region has its own, special tagine, which they are proud of and consider it to be the best and most delicious. Since food in tagine takes a long time to cook, housewives put food in it for dinner right after breakfast.

Cous cous, also known in Morocco as sex, one of the healthiest foods in the world. It is mistakenly called croup., but it is more correct to consider it a type of durum wheat pasta.

Although now couscous can be bought ready-made, Moroccans still often cook it themselves., rubbing semolina with water with palms for hours, to get small pellets, which will be steamed. Cooked couscous is boiled and served as a hot side dish with meat or vegetables, or put in salads.

by the way, about salads. In Morocco, they are divided into two types.: cooked and raw. Raw vegetables are prepared, seasoned with olive oil, spices and herbs. Готовые же, such as zaaluk, bakula, shakshuka, made from a combination of vegetables and spices, boiling in a saucepan.

Pastilla came to Morocco from Spanish Andalusia. It was brought by the exiled Moors in the 15th century.. This puff pastry has a perfectly crispy dough, pigeon or chicken meat, the sweetness of sugar and cinnamon, stringiness of aromatic sauce with almond paste.

Moroccans usually eat fresh fruits or salads after meals.. Выпечка же – It `s that, what is served separately, to the popular Moroccan mint tea. It is brought in small cups, with leaves of fresh plants inside. Coffee is also served with baked goods., Turkish cooked, or coffee with milk.

The most popular sweets in Morocco are gazelle ankles – crescent-shaped cookies with almond filling and "cigars", shaved, the same with minadle.

Festive table

Festive meal, "Diffa", consists of 6-20 dishes: the first to be served is a large puff pastry pie with a diameter of up to half a meter, then steamed lamb shoulder and / or shua ribs, or mutton shashlik "Meshvi", tagines with fish, poultry and lamb, couscous completes the serving. There are many specialties for festive feasts in Moroccan cuisine: mutton tagine with plums and raisins , lamb with almonds (tfaya) etc.

99 процентов населения страны — мусульмане-сунниты, they fast in Ramadan. Первая трапеза после захода солнца — ифтар — включает финики и хариру, lentil soup. Couscous is served on Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Kebir; and on Eid al Kebir he is often accompanied by a sheep's head, carrots and garden beans. Couscous is served on all holidays, and even after the funeral, the family of the deceased is given couscous for distribution to the poor.

Main dishes

Moroccan couscous

Main Moroccan dish , most people are familiar with is cous – piece , old national delicacy. Beef is the most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco, usually , eats in tajins with a wide selection of vegetables. Chicken is also very commonly used in tagines, or fried.

The Lamb is also greatly destroyed, as Moroccan sheep store most of their fat in their tails, Moroccan lamb has no tart taste , what western lamb is.

Since Morocco lies on two banks, the Atlantic and Mediterranean , Moroccan cuisine has a wide variety of seafood. European sardines are caught in large , but a decrease in the number. Other fish species include mackerel , anchovies , sardinella and stavrida .

Other famous Moroccan dishes Pastille (also spelled Basteeya or Bestilla), Tanjia and Harira , typical heavy soup , eaten during winter , to warm up and usually served for lunch, it , usually , eaten with plain bread or dates during the month of Ramadan . Bissara is a broad bean based soup , which is also consumed in the colder months of the year.

Most of the daily food intake is bread. Bread in Morocco is mainly made from durum wheat semolina , known as khobz . Baking is very common throughout Morocco and fresh bread is a staple in every town and village.. The most common is whole grain or white flour breads or baguettes. There are also a range of tortillas and pulled unleavened pan-fried bread.

Moreover, dried corned beef and salted canned meats , such as khlea and g'did ( mostly sheep bacon ), which are used to flavor tagines or used in "el rghaif", folded spicy moroccan pancake.

History of Moroccan cuisine

The original inhabitants of Morocco – Berbers, "free people", they came up with tagine and couscous. Arab invasion, шлынув, left an abundance of spices in Moroccan cuisine, love of nuts and dried fruits, unusual combinations of sweet and sour. Olives and oil from them became the inheritance of the Moors, lemon juice and new preservation methods.

The Ottoman Empire presented various kebabs to the Moroccans (kebabs). Existence of Morocco as a French colony, gave the kitchen its final shine.

The French taught Moroccans how to bake delicious buns, opened the first cafes and instilled a taste for wines. Through the efforts of so many peoples, over millennia of cutting, Moroccan cuisine has become a real paradise for gourmet gourmets.