A real Moroccan feast is not for the
faint of heart or weak of stomach. The many courses of rich food may be
unfamiliar to Western palates, but it's a feast in every sense, with
bright colours, a variety of smells and a multitude of tastes from
ultra-sweet to hot and sour. The Moroccan duty of hospitality ensures a
warm welcome, a relaxed atmosphere and a generously filled table.
Hospitality Reigns
The sharing of food – a big bowl of couscous or a steaming tagine, for
example – is a social affair; but in Morocco it is also an expression of
solidarity, of family or tribal bonding. Hospitality is an honour for
the wealthy but also a way of survival for the poor. To evoke this
spirit of hospitality, Moroccans like to tell a pre-Islamic story that
celebrates a prince who spent his fortune on entertaining passing guests
honourably. Even simple travellers who had lost their way were given
hospitality, until in the end he had nothing left. One day the king
visited him, having heard that the prince owned a fantastic horse. At
the end of the meal when the king finally mentioned the delicate subject
of buying the animal, the prince admitted that in order to fulfil his
duty of hospitality he had had to kill the animal. The irony is that the
tradition of hospitality led to both host and guest losing out.
Moroccan food is as varied as it is delicious
A Veritable Feast
Moroccans eat at low, round tables, while sitting on cushions or a sofa.
Before a meal, a bowl is unusually brought to the table and hands are
washed. Traditionally, only the right hand is used for eating, and food
is scooped up with a chunk of bread. The invitation to eat is "Bismillah", after which the host will take the first bite.
As a guest you should try to taste each of the dishes, though you don't
have to eat everything as its considered polite to leave some food, as
well as to belch to show you've had plenty. Guests talk very little as
they eat, and especially avoid touchy or exciting subjects that might
distract people from the numerous pleasures of the table.
The meal starts with a soup such as harira, a rich meat soup eaten with
dates. This might be followed by several types of salad, then by several
tagines (stews) or grilled meat or fish. Then couscous and finally fruit
and sweets might he served.
The meal ends with a much-needed digestive mint tea. Take your time to
enjoy it: as the people from the High Atlas say "Listen to our Stories
like you drink tea, with little sips, so you get its full flavour."
Nothing is as satisfying as a steaming
dish of couscous
The best and sweetest dates are found in
Zagora
Dining Moroccan-style: low tables and
comfortable sofas
A delicious chicken mqualli with olives
and almonds
It's the spices that make Moroccan
cuisine so delicious
Tagine of chicken mqualli
This popular tagine delightfully blends the bitterness
of the olives with the sweet-sour taste of preserved
lemons.
1 large chicken, cut into eight
40g butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, grated or very
finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
salt & pepper
a bunch of flat parsley, chopped
a bunch coriander, chopped
15 juicy green olives
1-2 preserved lemons chopped
Put the chicken in a large saucepan with the oil,
butter, onions, spices and one large glass of water
and simmer gently for 11/2 hours, or until the meat
falls off the bone. Stir from time to time, turn the
chicken over and add more water as required, to obtain a
good gravy. When the meat is ready, add the lemon and
olives and cook for a few more minutes. Serve hot with
flat bread and a salad.
Ras el-Hanout
Ras el-Hanout ("Head of the Shop"), the most exotic Moroccan flavoring,
is used on special occasions, and in certain winter stews. It's a
pungent mixture of 27 spices: cardamon, mace, galangal, guinea pepper,
two kinds of nutmeg, four spices pimiento, cantharide, Indian and
Chinese cinnamon, cyparacée, long pepper, cloves, curcuma, grey and
white ginger, oris root, black pepper, lavender, rose-buds, Chinese
cinnamon, ash berries, belladonna, fennel flowers, gouza el-asnab,
asclepiadic fruit, cubeb and monk's pepper.
Bright colours, a multitude of tastes and good company makes for a
veritable Moroccan feast
