The customs of Moroccan gastronomy

Moroccan cuisine is marked by the blend of spices and herbs found in its dishes. The history of Morocco and its colonizers is the only way we can understand how the food of this country has become what it is today. The Berbers, the Arabs, the Moors, and the French all left their mark with different culinary and cultural customs that we can appreciate in every bite today.

Many of the ingredients they introduced to Moroccan cuisine are now an integral part of some of the most typical dishes. The flavors and aromas of Morocco will make you want to try any dish.

A Moroccan meal usually begins with a series of warm and/or cold salads, called Zaaluk. Here are some examples: artichoke salad with garlic, spices, and preserved lemon, romaine lettuce and orange salad, or spinach salad with preserved lemon and olives.

The main course is usually a tagine, couscous, or pastilla. Pastilla is a pastry originating in Fez that combines sweet and savory ingredients. It is layered with meat, seasoned with a filling of almonds and spices. It is topped with powdered sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It is also a lamb pastilla with Medjool dates, or a duck pastilla with apricots and pine nuts.

For dessert, it's typical to share a plate of seasonal fruit and the country's typical sweets, including a variety of pastries, millefeuille, or delicious cakes. Moroccans usually end their meals with a glass of sweet mint tea. Other delicious dishes we encourage you to try before leaving Morocco include:

Harira

A soup made with tomato, lentils, chickpeas, and occasionally meat. During the month of Ramadan, the fast is broken with a warm bowl of this soup.
Meat skewer

In many street stalls throughout the country, as well as in traditional restaurants, you'll find skewers with diced chicken or beef, grilled and accompanied by salad or fries.
Moroccan Kefta

Kefta is minced meat with spices cooked either in a tagine or on the grill. It's a dish similar to meatballs, but less rounded, and very common throughout the country.
Traditional Moroccan bread

As much as we talk about typical dishes, we also need to accompany them! In this case, we're talking about Moroccan bread, called Khubz bread. It's a bread baked without yeast, which is why it maintains its flat, rounded shape with little crumb, perfect for lasting longer.

Make your Chicken Tagine when you get home to remember your trip to Morocco!

The tagine is a typical Moroccan cooking container in which food is steamed, preventing it from drying out. It's traditionally a clay pot, which is what gives the recipe its name, tagine. It's a shallow container with a conical lid that perfectly retains the temperature, both during and after cooking. Chicken tagine is one of the most typical Moroccan recipes. It's also delicious and very easy to make!

Ingredients:

Vegetables to taste: 1 leek, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 zucchini, 2 tomatoes, 2 green peppers, etc.
2 glasses of chicken broth
2 teaspoons ras al hanut
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Preparation:
1. Wash, peel and cut all the vegetables into small pieces, making sure they are more or less the same size.

2. Prepare the chicken in squares.

3. Add the olive oil to the tagine and, when it's hot, add the vegetables and cook until tender. Then, add the chicken and, when it begins to brown, add the spices.

4. Stir well so that the ingredients are well coated with the spices.

5. Add the chicken broth so that all the ingredients are covered.

6. Cover the tagine, lower the heat and let it cook for half an hour.

You already have your chicken tagine!