In contrast to this culinary refinement stands couscous, which represents the cooking of the peasants: semolina cooked in hot broth or sauce. For the Berbers, it is flavored with sheep or goat’s milk. It’s the traditional Friday family lunch and varies by region; it may be served with lamb, chicken and olives, chicken and prunes, merguez sausage, etc. Made from durum wheat semolina, couscous is cooked by steaming. To eat it, one traditionally takes a handful of semolina and forms it into a ball with one hand. Couscous is cooked in a couscoussière which consists of a pot in which the chicken or lamb and vegetables are cooked, on top of which is placed a second lidded vessel filled with holes that allow the steam from the meat to penetrate and cook the couscous while imbuing it with delicious flavor. Once cooked, the couscous is arranged in a mound on a large platter and a well is hollowed out in the center to hold the meat and vegetables.

Moroccans like rich floral flavors like saffron, cumin and coriander. Every cook prepares his own spice blend for flavoring soups and stews. Kama is a mixture of black pepper, turmeric, ginger, cumin and nutmeg. 

Lamb and mutton are staples of Moroccan cooking. The latter even has its own feast day, called Aïd el-Kebir or Aïd el-Adha, commemorating Abraham’s sacrifice. The mutton feast takes place on the first of Moharrem, the first day of the Hegira in the Muslim calendar. Chicken also features prominently in the cuisine, and sometimes goat as well, depending on the region.

Meat is cooked on skewers (mechoui) or in tagines, a long-simmered stew containing fruit (particularly dates, prunes and preserved salted lemons), cooked in a glazed terra cotta vessel with a tall pointed lid like a witch’s hat. It allows the steam to rise and then descend again, creating a perfect environment for slow cooking. In winter, particularly in the mountains, temperatures can drop quite low. The tagine is placed on the coals of the fireplace and a little more spice is added to provide even more of a warming effect.

Another typical utensil and a very popular dish is tanjia marrakchia. The name refers both to the squat earthenware cooking vessel and to the spiced lamb dish that is prepared in it. All the ingredients are thrown in and stirred up, and then the dish is simply tied up with paper and string and brought to the hammam where the “farnachi” covers it in hot ashes and leaves it to cook for at least four hours.

This is a dish made by men for men, a treat prepared by bachelors for a party or an outdoor gathering accompanied by music and card playing. 

In Morocco, you’ll also find dishes prepared in casseroles, in which meat is seared in smen, a strongly-flavored butter. Then water, onions, spices and cinnamon are added and the dish is left to simmer.

Many Moroccans begin their day with a bowl of soup. Harira is the national soup. During the 30 days of Ramadan, every household prepares this flavorful dish that fills the streets with its aroma as soon as the sun goes down. The day’s fast (f’tour) is then broken with this rich concoction of meat, lentils and chickpeas. It is eaten with beghrirs, little waffles served with melted butter and honey, and shebbakias, little cakes fried in oil and dipped in honey. This “light” snack holds Moroccans over until the real dinner is served later in the evening.

Chermoula is a basic seasoning for fish in Moroccan recipes, whether fried, cooked with vegetables in a tagine, or stuffed and baked. It consists of coriander, garlic, sweet and hot peppers, cumin and coarse salt mixed with lemon juice and olive oil.

A traditional meal wouldn’t be complete without fruit, and especially a wide selection of pastries.

Mahancha - thin pastry filled with almonds
Righaif – pancake with honey and sesame seeds
Honey cakes
“Gazelle horns”
Feqqas with almonds and raisins
Ghoriba with almonds and sesame
Shabbakia – small cakes fried in oil and coated with honey
 

Mint tea is offered as a sign of hospitality. It is served very hot and very sweet at all hours of the day, whether you’re at the carpet merchants, in a Berber tent or in the lobby of a big hotel. Presented in a small narrow glass, it is poured from a great height in order to remove any bitterness. You may also come across chiba, an absinthe tea.

Then as evening falls the inexpensive restaurants open up. As the stars come out and the oil lamps are lit, the aroma of roast meats, couscous, harira and doughnuts fills the air. In the medina, the spectacle continues in the market place (souk), a labyrinth of shadow and light branching out endlessly under reed trellises, a blur of color, sound and scents that draw you into the rhythm of the crowd, inviting you to delve more deeply into this exotic culture.

Go out onto the terrace and breath in the mellow night air. The dishes will be laid out on the low table – time to relax and enjoy life.

Argane oil

• Garlic
• Cinnamon
• Cayenne pepper
• Curcuma
• Chermoula
• Salt-Preserved Lemons  
• Cumin
• Coriander seeds
• Orange blossom
• Ginger
• Clove
• Harissa
• Kama
• Honey
• Ras-el-hanout
• Safran
• Tabel