The wonders of Moroccan Cuisine: The signature dishes of Morocco

The wonders of Moroccan Cuisine

Part 3

Couscous, Tagine and more  

The signature dishes of Morocco:

And this time let me introduce you to some of the must-try, must-eat signature dishes which you can't miss out on when visiting Morocco. Although some of the below mentioned dishes are seasonal, most of them are widely offered also at local restaurants.

The Couscous:

The Moroccan Couscous

Couscous is the signature meal of Morocco and it’s a meal which is a must if you are in Morocco As most Moroccan foods, there is no such thing as one exact meal called couscous: it is extremely versatile and most local families have their own recipe on how they make it. Most generally however it is a great mix of couscous itself which is dried semolina made from durum wheat– that’s like the local rice and these times it’s very much available in super- or hypermarkets all over the world – containing a great deal of cooked vegetables – carrots, paprika, turnip, boiled meat, a great deal of chickpeas and these are cooked altogether with spices as a big vegetable soup, to give a great flavor to the couscous with plenty of sauce or fluid to use. At the end of cooking the soup and when the couscous is well steamed too, the meat and vegetables are taken out from the broad and served on top of the couscous in form of a big pile, often decorated with some good looking boiled vegetables, which gives it a very unique and tasty  look.

The preparation of couscous is a long process. Traditionally it is a meal that is served on Friday as the holy day of Muslim religion. That’s when the family gets together after the midday prayer the Dhuhr and have this meal altogether.

The eating of couscous and in fact most Moroccan meals is with hand (right hand only do not use your left hand, not even for helping your right hand during meals!)  Couscous is easy to make balls from and eat with hand.  It is served in a big bowl so all the family members can get to it and they will all proceed to eat from the same bowl, without using any additional plates. This is the custom and it also derives from Muslim religion, which says people need to share what they have and not divide it.  As with most things, you should really have a friend in Morocco who invites you to a family meal because the real flavor of couscous derives from the real family atmosphere, everyone eating together.

Tagine:

The classic Tagine dish

Tagine is also not a pre-defined meal with a pre-defined recipe. It is in fact the name of the ceramic cooking bowl that comes with a very unique looking pyramid shaped top, that enables food to be cooked all the better. So, all in all, every food that’s cooked in a Tagine bowl is called “Tagine”.  These brilliant foods are often chicken cooked with lots of vegetables and with the use of spices such as cumin, saffron, peppers, oregano and lots of others too. Tagine is frequently served in every family, irrespectively of occasion and it is most often consumed with Khobbz bread which is excellent to be used as a sort of a spoon. The Tagine pot is used for cooking in every Moroccan family either for cooking the whole food ( never on gas only on cooking plate or in an oven) or it is used for serving the already cooked food.

Harira Soup

Particularly popular during the winter months for its warmth and richness Harira is the signature soup of Morocco. This is a great vegetable soup which is in fact so full that you can take it for a complete meal especially when eating it with Khobbz or Matlou bread. Harira contains a great deal of lentil, chickpea, carrot, beans, onions, potatoes among others. Harira is also one of the key food to consume during Ramadan.

Bissara:

Bissara is one of the most commonly served meals during the winter months, especially in the poorer households but it has a great rich flavor and it makes up for a great, abundant meal. This soup contains fava beans or yellow peas and it’s served with olive oil and some red pepper powder on top. I’ve had Bissara in Morocco and it felt great, authentic and it warmed me up a big deal too! It’s excellent with fresh Moroccan bread the Khobbz.

Recipes:

Nowadays there are literally tons of websites giving you hundreds of recipes of both Couscous and Tagine, hereby I would like to suggest one site which has a great deal of local Moroccan recipes so click here if you would like to learn more and try your hands with the cooking.

Buying a classic Tagine - Pot: 
You can literally buy tagine pots in every single souks in every village or city. Tagine is not just something for the tourists: people use it on a daily basis both for cooking and for serving food for the family. Tagine's size ranges from miniature to large family ones: you can get the classic brown or red glazed ones ( these are the ones you can mostly see in family circles) or the more decorated painted Tagine puts, which in Morocco are generally kept for celebrations or when receiving a special guest. Tagine pots also make up for an excellent present.  Tagine bowls' price generally range from around 100-120 Dirhams, but the painted and decorated ones generally cost more than double the price. There are hundres of shops selling tagines throughout the country, but you can buy the best ones for the cheapest prices at local souks or markets. 

I hope you liked my article and should you have any suggestions on what to include or exclude from this blog don't hesitate to let me know.