maroccankuisine
-
Upload
natalia-sabaliu -
Category
Documents
-
view
127 -
download
0
Transcript of maroccankuisine
Introduction
Moroccan cuisine is exotic! It is extensive in its variety and remarkable in its taste and
aroma. The centuries long history of invasions have contributed to the diverse sense of good
food traditions, different ingredients and naturally the best possible combination of all these
factors. It carries different levels of distinct tastes from north, south and the east; but the
strongest influence comes undoubtedly from the east.
Full of rich deep earthy flavour, it has long been considered as one of the most diversified
cuisines in the world because of centuries of interaction between Morocco and the outside world.
Moroccan cuisine is a mix of Arab, Berber, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean African,
Iberian, and Jewish influences.
1
Chapter 1. Ethnic cuisine. Morocco.1.1 Historical background
Situated on the northwest coast of Africa, Morocco is one of three countries which make up
the maghreb ("furthest west"), the other two being Algeria and Tunisia. The Atlantic Ocean is to
the west, while the calm waters of the Mediterranean are due north and the harsher sands of the
Sahara are to the south. Snaking through the center of the country are a series of mountain
ranges, beginning with the Riff mountains in the north and continuing with the Middle Atlas,
High Atlas and Anti-Atlas ranges, which nearly split the country in half along a vertical axis. It is
these mountainous areas which are heavily populated by the Berbers, the indigenous people of
Morocco who still comprise 80% of the population. The Berbers are not ethnically Arabs, but
they are Islamic.
The Phoenicians, merchants from North Africa, were the first to establish a
series of trading ports along the coast of Morocco nearly three thousand years
ago. Along with the increased trade, the Phoenicians brought with them new
skills for the Berbers such as masonry, weaving and iron and metalwork. A
period of Roman rule followed, leading to the Arab conquest in the 7th
century which brought Islam to the people of Morocco. The Arabs ultimately
left but the message and traditions of Islam held firm with the fiercely independent Moroccans.
The city of Fez, the country's first royal capital, was founded in 799 AD and quickly became the
center of cultural, economic and political life. A succession of tribal dynasties proceeded to rule
Morocco, culminating with the Alaouites, Arab sultans who seized power in 1668 and hold it to
this day.
Despite a reigning monarchy, the Europeans vied for control of
Morocco throughout the 1800s, with the French finally prevailing as
signaled by the Treaty of Fez in 1912. This document declared Morocco
to be both a French and Spanish protectorate, influences which remain
strong in the country. The Second World War muddied the waters of
leadership anew, with the Moroccans finally regaining their
independence in 1956. The ruling sultan took to calling himself King
Mohammed V in keeping with a new constitutional monarchy. His son,
King Hassan II, assumed the throne in 1961.
Today, this rich country of nearly 25 million people is heavily involved in agriculture,
although tourism and mining contribute significantly to the economy as well. Spanish, Jewish
and Arab influences combine with the native Berbers to create the cultural stew which is the
2
spice of Morocco. To really get to know this country one must look past images of smoky
Casablanca (the famous movie wasn't even filmed here!) and exotic, Euro-styled Tangier,
although both of these cities are well worth a visit. True Morocco can be found by exploring the
medina ("old town") of Fez and the souks ("market") of Marrakech. The unique cuisine of this
North African country is yet another way to savor the flavor of Morocco.
The foods of Morocco take great advantage of the natural
bounty of a country where eating is both a practical and
social ritual. The cooks in the kitchens of the four royal cities
(Fez, Meknes, Marrakech and Rabat) helped to refine
Moroccan cuisine and create the basis for what we know as
Moroccan cuisine today. The midday meal is the main meal,
except during the holy month of Ramadan, and abundant servings are the norm. The meal
usually begins with a series of hot and cold salads which are followed by a tagine, or stew. The
heartiest plate, often a lamb or chicken dish, is next, followed by a heaping plate of couscous
topped with meats and vegetables. A soothing cup of sweet mint tea is the grace note to this
repast. It is not uncommon for Moroccans to eat using the first three fingers of a hand, and to use
bread as a "utensil." [1]
The strong Arab influence found in two of the royal cities, Fez and
Marrakech, contributed greatly to Moroccan cuisine, as did the
Andalusian sensibilities of Tetuan and the Jewish traditions from the
coastal city of Essaouira. Aspects of all of these cultures can be found
in four of the best-loved Moroccan dishes: couscous, plumped
semolina grains which are served with a variety of toppings; bisteeya,
a delectable three-layer pie which is both savory and sweet and
wrapped in the thinnest of pastry; mechoui, tender roasted lamb; and
djej emshmel, succulent roasted chicken cooked with olives and
lemon. [1]
While spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many commonly-used
raw ingredients are home-grown: mint and olives from Meknes, oranges and lemons from sunny
Fez, prickly pear from Casablanca and shad from the Sebou river. Also cultivated in Morocco
are pomegranates, almonds, dates, walnuts, chestnuts, honey, barley, cherries and melon.
Seafood is abundant along the Atlantic coast while lamb and poultry are raised on higher ground.
The Moroccans are quick to point out that the best meals are found not in the restaurants but in
the homes. In this land of good and abundant food, the emphasis is clearly on preparing your
3
own. It is worth mentioning that women do virtually all of the cooking in this very traditional
country.
1.2 Cuisine In Morocco
Morocco is rated amongst the best in the world for its cuisine. Here we give you a taste of the
wealth of Moroccan flavours that await you.
For Moroccans, a special meal means extensive preparation: a banquet for important guests
may take a week to prepare and is overseen by the host and his sons with no women being
present. The men squat on cushions around low, artistically laid tables and a silver ewer of
perfumed water is taken around and poured over three fingers of the right hand of each guest
before the meal starts and on finishing. There may be up to 50 different courses.
Usually it is the ladies of the house who cook the meals and they spend hours in the preparation.
Again, there are no chairs but rolled carpets or cushions that serve as seats. The ladies dress in
long colourful robes.
Every household in Morocco makes their own bread which is made from semolina flour.
When the bread has been kneaded and shaped each family puts its own mark on it before sending
it to the bakery for cooking. [2, p.18]
A typical family meal starts with Bstilla which is a crisp pastry, rolled until it is extremely
thin and filled with chicken in a mixture of a sweet and peppery sauce.
Next comes a typical brochette or kebab which is flavoured with beef or lamb fat. Following
would be a Tajine which is chicken or a meat in a spicy stew which had been simmering for
hours and served with bread. Next comes a course of Batinjaan, an eggplant or tomato salad.
Couscous, the national dish of Morocco, would then be served with meat and vegetables
followed by slices of melon or fruit and pastries made with honey and almonds. Mint tea is then
served at the end of the meal. [2, p.28]
1.3 Key Ingredients in Moroccan Cuisine
Moroccan cuisine is rich in spices which only natural when you consider the spice trade from
Arabia to North Africa. Spices here are used to enhance and not mask the flavour of food. The
following spices are among the most commonly used.
Cinnamon – which is found in Bisteeya, Couscous and many desserts
Cumin - ground cumin is among the most highly flavoured spice used and is common in
meats, lamb and chicken
Turmeric - always found in Harira soup which is a soup drunk for the evening meal
during Ramadan
Ginger - found in many stews
4
Paprika - usually in tomato and vegetable dishes
Anise seed - found in breads and cookies
Sesame seed - used in breads and desserts
Moroccan cuisine is extremely diverse, thanks to Morocco's interaction with other cultures
and nations over the centuries. Moroccan cuisine has been subject to Berber, Moorish,
Mediterranean, and Arab influences. The cooks in the royal kitchens of Fez, Meknes, Marrakesh,
Rabat and Tetouan refined it over the centuries and created the basis for what is known as
Moroccan cuisine today. [2, p.23]
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. [3, p.46]
Characteristic flavourings include lemon pickle, cold-pressed, unrefined olive oil and dried
fruits. It is also known for being far more heavily spiced than Middle Eastern cuisine.
1.4 Use of Spices and Other Flavorings
Spices at central market in Agadir
Spices are used extensively in Moroccan food. Although spices have been imported to
Morocco for thousands of years, many ingredients, like saffron from Tiliouine, mint and olives
from Meknes, and oranges and lemons from Fez, are home-grown. Common spices include karfa
(cinnamon), kamoun (cumin), kharkoum (turmeric), skinjbir (ginger), libzar (pepper), tahmira
(paprika), anise seed, sesame seeds, qesbour (coriander), andzaafran beldi (saffron).Common
herbs include mint and 'maadnous'(parsley.) [4]
Chapter 2. Structure of meals
The midday meal is the main meal, except during the holy month of Ramadan. A typical meal
begins with a series of hot and cold salads, followed by a tagine. Bread is eaten with every meal.
Often, for a formal meal, a lamb or chicken dish is next, followed by couscous topped with meat
5
and vegetables. A cup of sweet mint tea usually ends the meal. Moroccans usually eat with their
hands and use bread as a utensil. [5, p.8]
2.1 Main dishes
Moroccan Couscous.
The main Moroccan dish most people are familiar with is couscous, an old delicacy probably
of Berber origin.
Beef is the most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco. Lamb is preferred, but rarer thanks to
its high cost. Poultry is also very common, and the importance of seafood is increasing in
Moroccan food. North African sheep breeds store most fat in their tails, which means that
Moroccan lamb does not have the pungent flavor that Western lamb and mutton have.
Among the most famous Moroccan dishes are Couscous, Pastilla (also spelled Bsteeya or
Bestilla), Tajine, Tanjia and Harira. Although the latter is a soup, it is considered as a dish in
itself and is served as such or with dates especially during the month of Ramadan. [6]
2.2 Salads
Salads include both raw and cooked ingredients, served either hot or cold. Cold salads include
zaalouk, an eggplant and tomato mixture, and taktouka (a mixture of tomatoes, green peppers,
garlic and spices). [7, p28]
2.3 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. Halwa Shebakia are cookies eaten during the month of
Ramadan. Coconut fudge cakes, 'Zucre Coco', are popular also. [8, p.12]
2.4 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. The pouring technique is as crucial as the quality of the tea itself.
6
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. [9, p.16]
2.5 Snacks and Fastfood
A food stall at Djemaa el Fna.
Selling fast food in the street has long been a tradition, and the best example is Djemaa el Fna
square in Marrakech. Starting in the 1980s, new snack restaurants started serving "Bocadillo" (a
Spanish word for a sandwich, widely used in Morocco). Though the composition of a bocadillo
varies by region, it is usually a baguette filled with salad and a choice of meats, fish (usually
tuna), or omelette. [10, p.14]
Dairy product shops (Mahlaba in Moroccan Arabic) are open throughout cities in Morocco.
Those mahlabas generally offer all types of dairy products, juices, and breakfasts as well as
bocadillos, competing with former established snack restaurants. [10, p.16]
In the late 1990s, several multinational fast-food franchises opened restaurants in major cities.
2.6 The most popular dishes
Name
Other
names
Image Type Description
Baghrir
Beghrir, or
Rghayif
Entrée pancakes or a type of fried puff pastry
Briouat Entrée
triangular or cylinder-shaped savory or sweet
pastry covered with warqa (a paper-thin
Moroccan dough)
Brochetter Kebob lamb kebab
7
Boulfaf
Bourekas
BurekEntrée
CouscousMain
courseSemolina meat vegetables"usually 7"
Ferakh
MaamerEntrée
a dish of spring chicken stuffed with sweeten
couscous and enhanced with raisins, orange-
flower water, almonds, and sugar. The
ingredients are then placed in a large
casserole and simmered slowly in a sauce
made of honey, onion, garlic, ginger,
cinnamon, and saffron.
Harira Entréethick soup based on tomatoes (beans, lentils
and other products can be added)
Harsha bread fried buttery bread made of semolina
Kwah Kebob liver kebabs
KeftaMain
courseMeatballs
Kefta
magawara
Main
courseKefta tajine served with tomato, eggs
Kemia an array of small dishes
Khlea
khli[1] or
Kleehe[5]
Breakfast Preserved dried meat
Morrocan
CigarsAppetizer ground beef wrapped in dough
8
Moroccan
Couscous
Main
course
an imperial dish consisting of couscous with
seven vegetables
Lentil soup soup soup made with lentil
Merguez a spicy lamb sausage
Mechoui
M’Choui or
Mashwi
Main
courseRoasted lamb
Milina Entrée Chicken/Eggs
Moroccan
Flatbread
(Khobz)
bread Flatbread
MrouziaMain
course
A sweet dish of lamb with raisins, almonds
and honey
Mqualli Entrée Chicken/Citron
Pastilla Entrée Chicken/Almonds/Seafood
Rfisaa dish made with shredded pieces of pancake
and chicken (djej beldi)
Sardine Entrée Sardines with preserved lemon
9
TajineMain
coursemeat, vegetable
Tanjia EntréeRed meat with preserved lemons (a typical
dish of Marrakech)
Salads
Name Image Type Description
Moroccan salad Salad
Moroccan spreads Salad "Cooked salads."
Chakchuka
TaktoukaSalad Grilled tomato and green pepper salad
Lhzina Salad Oranges/Paprika/Black olives
Zaalouk Salad Cooked mixture of eggplant and tomatoes
Condiments and sauces
Name Image Type Description
Charmoula
a marinade to flavor fish or seafood, but it can be
used on other meats or vegetables. Chermoula is
often made of a mixture of herbs, oil, lemon juice,
pickled lemons, garlic, cumin, and salt. It may also
include onion, fresh coriander, ground chili
peppers, black pepper, or saffron.
Leems Pickled lemons
10
Desserts
Name Image Type Description
Pastili Dessert
a rich, sweet pastry featured in many
cuisines of the former Ottoman, Arab,
and Iranian countries. It is a pastry
made of layers of phyllo dough filled
with chopped nuts and sweetened with
syrup or honey.
Briouat bil luz Dessert Pastry stuffed with almond paste
Faqqas Desserta type of macaroon made with
semolina flour.
Ghriyyaba DessertBiscuits flavored with aniseed and
sesame seeds, or almonds and raisins.
Keneffa Dessert a variety of bastila dessert
Kaab el ghzal Dessert Almond Paste/Sugar
Limun bel-Qerfa o
khayezzou
mahekouk(carrotte)
Dessert Oranges/Cinnamon
Ma'amoul Dessert
small shortbread pastries filled with
dates, pistachios or walnuts (or
occasionally almonds, figs, or other
fillings).
Milk Pastilla Dessert Pastilla/Milk/Almonds/Vanilla
Rozz bel Hleeb (Rice
pudding)Dessert Milk/Rice/Orange Blossom Water
Shebakia
ShabbakiyaDessert
Fried "cookie" dough dipped in honey
and sesame seeds
Seffa
Sfaa
sweet couscous made with cinnamon,
sugar, and sometimes studded with
prunes, raisins and almonds. It is
served with cream.
11
Sellu Dessert
Roasted flour mixed with butter or
olive oil, sugar or honey, cinnamon,
almonds (or sometimes peanuts), and
other ingredients
Sfenj Desserta doughnut sprinkled with sugar or
soaked in honey.
Drinks
Name Image Type Description
'Asseer Rumman Pomegranate/Orange Blossom Water
'Asseer Limun Orange juice
Coffee Moroccan coffee or 'half-half'
Green tea Tea/Mint
Beet Juice Beets/Orange Blossom Water
Grape juice White grapes
Mint tea
[11]
12
Conclusions
Moroccan cuisine is as varied as its culture. It has had so many diverse influences that its food
is often layered with many different spices. Morocco, the culinary star of North Africa, is the
doorway between Europe and Africa. Much imperial and trade influence has been filtered
through her and blended into her culture. Unlike the herb-based cooking across the sea to the
north, Moroccan cooking is characterized by rich spices. Cumin, coriander, saffron, chiles, dried
ginger, cinnamon, and paprika are on the cook's shelf, and in her mortar.
As we may see, one country’s cuisine is also a very important part of its culture. It reveals not
only some actual habits and traditions of a nation, but some historical background and even
nation’s character as well.
Bibliography
1. http://www.al-bab.com/maroc/maroc.htm,
2. Davidson, Alan. The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999,
3. Helou, Anissa. Café Morocco. Chicago: Contemporary Books. 1999,
4. http://epicurious.com,
5. Mackley, Lesley. The Book of North African Cooking. New York: HP Books, 1998,
6. http://soar.berkeley.edu,
7. Morse, Kitty. North Africa: The Vegetarian Table. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1996,
8. Seward, Pat. Cultures of the World: Morocco. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1995,
9. Walden, Hilaire. North African Cooking. Edison, N.J.: Chartwell, 1995,
10. Webb, Lois Sinaiko. Holidays of the World Cookbook for Students. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1995,
11. http://209.95.106.181/happymenu/moroccan.
13