Moroccan Cuisine

Morocco is one of the leading destinations for tourists in Africa who come, amongst many reasons, for the history and cultural diversity of Morocco as it is home to Arab and Berber culture, Ruins of Roman cities and Euro-Mediterranean influences. Tourists also visit the North African country to enjoy the country’s natural beauty and diversity such as in the Sahara desert, the Atlas Mountains and the beautiful Mediterranean and Atlantic beaches. However, one of the delights of visiting Morocco is the impeccable and delicious Moroccan cuisine.

Moroccan cuisine is recognized by chefs and cooks from all over as one of the most diverse and the most delicate cuisines in the world. Moroccan cuisine is a fusion of North African cuisine, Arab cuisine and Mediterranean cuisine which grants it its big diversity of flavors and taste. Morocco’s northern parts are most experienced in seafood, with their salty and mildly spicy taste. Moving to the southern and middle parts of Morocco, the focus starts to switch more on the direction of sweet tastes whether with vegetarian dishes or dishes that includes meat and chicken.

Tagine is one of Morocco’s most famous dishes, cooked on clay pottery, and it splits to many types as there are vegetarian tagines with a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits, mainly tomatoes, potatoes, onions and carrots along with a variety of Moroccan spices and the signature taste of lemon. Chicken Tagine comes with either vegetables or lemon and olives. Meat Tagine offers a rather sweeter and unusual taste, with the addition of prunes, combining the salty taste of meat and herbs with the sweetness of the fruit. Couscous is also one of Morocco’s most famous dishes, mostly eaten on Friday, by the locals as a tradition. It comes with either meat or chicken and a variety of vegetables, mainly potatoes, carrots, onions, tomatoes and pumpkin. The imperial city of Fes is famous for chicken Bastila which has a rather sweeter taste than most dishes in Fes.

In the eastern part of Morocco, especially in Rissani, the most famous dish is Seffa Medfouna which is special to the region, with Rissani as its birth place. It features savory, saffron-flavored chicken or meat buried within a mound of steamed broken vermicelli or couscous. Raisins, cinnamon, ground almonds and powdered sugar are traditional garnishes. Presented that way, Seffa Medfouna is an impressive sweet and savory dish most likely to show up as one of several entrees at a special occasion or holiday meal.

Once in Morocco, it is inevitable that you will fall in love with Moroccan food, its huge diversity and the rich flavors. You will want to learn how to cook some Moroccan dishes, that’s why there are cooking classes to teach you how to prepare a Moroccan meal from start to end, beginning from shopping for fresh ingredients in a local traditional market (Souq) at a fair price, then preparing these ingredients for the final dish, along with the entrees, accompanying dishes and dessert. It is a chance not to miss, as the experienced cooks are generous with information and wish nothing but to help everybody savor such tasty meals.