Morocco: Influences in Moroccan Cuisine

Tue, Sep 4th 2007, 00:00

Morocco had contact with the outside world from very early in history ... and this has influenced the food they eat.


From ancient times Morocco has seen a long parade of invaders, settlers and colonists: the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, lesser known Vandals and Alans, Byzantines, Arabs and Ottomans, and later French and Spanish. Then there were pirates and their slaves from the infamous days of the Barbary Coast. Muslim Morisco refugees fled to Morocco from Spain during the Spanish Inquisition.

This array of visitors has each played a role in modern Moroccan Cuisine.

New spices were introduced to the traditional food of the Berbers. Characteristically, Moroccan cooking uses more spice than the herbs popular in other Mediterranean cooking. The mixture of dried ginger, cumin, salt, black pepper and turmeric is found in almost every tagine and couscous dish. Cumin is so popular it is even served on the table along with salt and pepper.

In the souks today you will find variations of the spice mix ras el hanout (which means head of the shop). The mixture is a combination of anything from 10 to 100 spices and you will never find two mixtures alike – each trader has his own secret recipe (hence the name).

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