Moroccan cuisine

Moroccan cuisine (Arabic: المطبخ المغربي Standard Moroccan Tamazight: ⴰⵙⵏⵡⵉ ⵏ ⵍⵎⴰⵖⵔⵉⴱ) is the cuisine of Morocco, fueled by interactions and exchanges with many cultures and nations over the centuries. Moroccan cuisine is usually a mix of Arab, Berber, Andalusi, Mediterranean and African cuisines, with minimal European (French and Spanish) influences. Traditional communal eating habits and ceremonial tea service are central to social gatherings. Like the rest of the Maghrebi cuisine, Moroccan cuisine has more in common with Middle Eastern cuisine than with the rest of Africa.

According to Moroccan chef and cuisine researcher Hossin Houari, the oldest traces of Moroccan cuisine that can still be observed today go back to the 7th century BC.

History

By the 7th century BC, coastal Phoenician colonies such as Sala and Kerne became centers of olive oil and wine production.

In the Roman period, there were factories for garum, a fermented fish sauce, in Cotta and Lixus, and Baetican olive oil amphorae are known to have been distributed in Mauretania Tingitana.

Couscoussiers dating back to the 12th century were found in the ruins of Igiliz, located in the Sous valley of Morocco.

According to food writer Charles Perry, couscous originated among the Berbers of Algeria and Morocco between the end of the 11th-century Zirid dynasty, modern-day Algeria, and the rise of the 13th-century Almohad Caliphate.

Ingredients

Morocco produces a large range of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables, as well as tropical products like snails. Common meats include beef, goat, mutton and lamb, which, together with chicken and seafood, serve as a base for the cuisine.