Moroccan Feast!

The Moroccan culture and its food is fascinating with a mixture of Imazighen, Arab, Spanish, Jewish and French influences (and so much more!). When you think about the flavours and smells or Morocco you may think of the spices of Ras al Hanout, the tang of preserved lemons, fresh mint. All of these conjure up the sights and sounds of this amazing country for me and I would love to share my favourite meals with you from my trip with Intrepid travel this year:

Harira. This is a warming, hug-in-a-bowl soup. It is a thick consistency with a warmth that is just enough. Full of vegetables and chickpeas, it is filling and is often served with dates. Seems an odd pairing but the sweetness of the dates mixed with the warming spices of the soup is perfect!

Tagine. This is a typical dish that most of us have heard of. It is a lovely, filling stew available in a variety of flavours. Beef or chicken are the most common and are served with lots of veg and chickpeas. I am not a huge fan of cous cous but love the flat bread served with most meals and it works a treat when mopping up the juices.

Chicken pastilla. This is a treat but not to everyone’s taste as it is an interesting mix between sweet and savoury. It is essentially a chicken pie, encased in a fine filo pastry. The chicken is often mixed with almonds and the decoration on the pie is created with icing sugar… I am not sure if it’s a sweet main course or a savoury desert, regardless, its delicious!

Mint tea. This is the tea to drink whilst in Morocco. Made with black tea, fresh mint and a fair amount of sugar it is fragrant, thirst quenching and you will see everyone enjoying it on your travels. Try it- you will like it!

Olives… if you love olives, be sure to visit the olive markets in the souks. You will not be disappointed. Juicy, flavoursome and plentiful. I could spend all day tasting them!

My list of ‘Moroccan food I love’ could go on and on but you shouldn’t take my word for it, go and taste it for yourself!