The Art of Moroccan Cuisine (Part II)

A Culture of Eating, Drinking, and Being Hospitable 

BREAD :
Bread, or khubz is sacred in Morocco. If a piece of bread from the dinner table falls on the ground, you are to pick it up and kiss it. It is also forbidden to throw away bread, so families keep their leftover bread aside to give to the poor, or to the livestock. Since very few Moroccan households have an oven, almost every neighborhood has a community oven where people take their bread dough to be baked. In the countryside, every family has its own traditional oven made of mud. At the table, instead of a fork and knife, Moroccans use a small piece of bread, their thumb and first two fingers to pick up food. You may discover that it becomes more useful than a fork at times, since you can use it to soak up the tasty sauce of the tagine while also picking pieces of meat and vegetables. Since bread plays such an important role in eating, it is always distributed evenly at meals so that no one will have to ask for a piece.

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The Chebakia 'Mkharka'

   The Chebakia (chebbakia or shebakia) also known 'Mkharka', is a Moroccan sesame cookie which is shaped into a flower, fried and then coated with honey. Also known as mkharka, it's usually served during Ramadan and for special occasions.
The ingredients and preparation methods may vary according to the traditions of each region.

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The Art of Moroccan Cuisine (Part I)

A Culture of Eating, Drinking, and Being Hospitable 

HISTORY AND INFLUENCES :
Moroccan cuisine is considered one of the most important cuisines in the world. One of the reasons for its importance is its remarkable diversity of influences. In Moroccan dishes, one can trace the country’s long history of colonizers and immigrants who have left their mark in more than one way. The cuisine of the first inhabitants, the Berbers, still exists today in the staple dishes like tagine and couscous. The Arab invasion brought new spices, nuts and dried fruits, and the sweet and sour combinations that we see in dishes like tagine with dates and lamb. The Moors introduced olives, olive juice and citrus while the Jewish-Moors left behind their sophisticated preserving techniques that we see in the frequent use of preserved lemons, pickles, etc. The Ottoman Empire introduced barbeque (kebabs) to Moroccan cuisine. The French colony, although short-lived compared to reign of some of these other empires, left behind a culture of cafes, pastries, and even wine. Over time, cooks in the kitchens of the four royal cities (Fez, Marrakesh, Meknes, and Rabat) have developed and perfected the dishes that blend each of these distinct tastes. Every Moroccan dish has its place in society and varies with the market, the season, and the region.

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Moroccan Dish 'Pastilla'

   Pastilla (pronounced "bastila"; Moroccan Language: Bestila), also transliterated bastilla, bisteeya, b'stilla or bstilla, is a traditional Moroccan dish, an elaborate meat pie traditionally made of squab (fledgling pigeons). As squabs are often hard to get, shredded chicken is more often used today; pastilla can also use fish or offal as a filling. Pastilla is generally served as a starter at the beginning of special meals.

   It is a pie which combines sweet and salty flavours; a combination of crisp layers of the crêpe-like werqa dough (a thinner cousin of the phyllo dough), savory meat slow-cooked in broth and spices and shredded, and a crunchy layer of toasted and ground almonds, cinnamon, and sugar

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Moroccan Cuisine

   People have always considered Moroccan cuisine as one of the most picturesque and varied cuisines in the world. The interaction of Morocco with the rest of the World throughout history may be one of the main reasons to explain this. We can find a mix of Berber, Middle Eastern, Arab, Moorish, Mediterranean African and Jewish influences. Moroccan cuisine today is what the cooks in the royal kitchens of Meknes, Rabat, Tetouan, etc created to modify the mentioned Moroccan cuisine.

    Tradition when it comes to meals changes if we compare it to different parts of the World as the main meal is the one taking part in the midday, with a selection of hot and cold salads. Bread is also popular and you will not find a Moroccan meal without it. The most common meat is lamb or chicken and as it happens with the bread, it is easy that you find them in meals with couscous and vegetables. To end the meal there is usually a cup of mint tea. 

    Something different about cuisine and food traditions in Morocco is that Moroccan people use to eat with their fingers and using bread as an utensil. If you are travelling to Morocco during the “Holy month of Ramadan” you will find that people is not allowed (with very few exceptions) to eat or drink anything until the sun sets.

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