Tarfaya Culture and History

Tarfaya is a city, previously also known as Villa Bens during the Spanish period, located in the Laâyoune Province of the Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra region of southwestern Morocco. It is a port town on the Atlantic coast, close to Cape Juby, which shares its name with the southern region of Morocco, and is located 890 km southwest of Rabat. According ot the 2004 census, Tarfaya has a population of 5,615, the smallest of the four municipalities of the region, but it is the only one outside of the disputed Western Sahara.

In the 1920s, the French commercial air carrier Aéropostale constructed an airfield here. A small monument now stands at that site to honour the air carrier, its pilots in general and the French aviator and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in particular. He served as station manager here during his career as an airmail pilot.

Tarfaya was occupied by the British in 1882, when they built a trading post called Casa del Mar. The building is currently in a state of complete disrepair. The Sahrawi tribes[which?] then solicited the intervention of Sultan Hassan I who negotiated the withdrawal of the British in 1885 by acquiring their trading office[citation needed]. In 1912 the territory of Tarfaya, then named Cape Juby, was occupied by Spain as part of the Spanish Sahara. The greater Cape Juby region plus Tarfaya were unified with Morocco in 1958, at the end of the Ifni War.

The wreck of Assalama

In early 2008, a ferry service was established between Tarfaya and Puerto del Rosario[citation needed]. The car ferry Assalama, operated by the shipping company Naviera Armas made the trip three times a week[citation needed]. It was the first ferry service between the Canary Islands and the coast of Africa[citation needed]. The anticipated car traffic between the Canaries and Morocco provided a modest economic upturn for the town.

This ferry service was, however, halted due to an accident on 30 April 2008, during a botched maneuver in the port. The ferry struck a sandbar and later sank in shallow water near Tarfaya. The Panama registered passenger ferry Assalama was wrecked after leaving Tarfaya in poor weather. The vessel was about five miles offshore when high seas washed over its deck and it began to list and be carried back to shore. 

Passengers and crew were successfully evacuated by Tarfaya fishermen as the ferry only had 2 obsolete lifeboats for 113 passengers after the ship beached on a sandbank just off the port entrance. Approximately 80,000 litres of fuel oil were spilt, severely damaging the local fishing industry. No compensations have been given for the loss of belongings or vehicles in the incident.

Tarfaya's association with Aéropostale began in 1927. The airmail carrier, based in Toulouse, France, was founded by French industrialist Pierre-Georges Latécoère, who envisioned an air route connecting France to its French colonies in Africa. Latécoère firmly believed in the future of aviation as a means of commercial transportation and communication between people.

The nearby Cape Juby airfield was an important refueling and stopover station for Aéropostale. Author-aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was named its station manager in 1927. There he remained for 18 months, on occasion negotiating with the rebellious Moorish tribes to release his imprisoned pilots, as he wrote in his first novel, Southern Mail.

On 28 September 2004 a museum opened in honour of the memory of Aéropostale, Saint-Exupéry and its pilots, supported notably by the city of Toulouse and French aircraft maker Airbus. The museum was inaugurated by renowned aviation journalist Bernard Chabbert, whose father was also part of Aéropostale's history.

Tarfaya: the city that inspired The Little Prince

Tarfaya: the city that inspired The Little Prince

Throughout the world, The Little Prince is considered one of the most read books. It has been translated into more than two hundred languages, and has been considered by critics as the most read book after the Quran and the Bible.

Most readers know of the story and the writer, but they seldom know that the writer was inspired by Trafaya, the little city in the south of Morocco that stands on two oceans; the Atlantic Ocean and the ocean of the desert.

In 1927, Antoine de Saint-Exupery arrived to Tarfaya as a representative of the air postal company he worked for. Between 1927 and 1929, Exupery spent eighteen months in the heart of the Sahara. The time he spent in the desert inspired the French poet to write his famous literary work a year before his death in 1943.

During his stay in the desert of Tarfaya, Saint-Exupery built good relations with the people of the region and its natural elements. He received inspiration from the nights, the stars, the moon, the dunes, the weather and the beauty of the Sahara. The nature of the Sahara positively impacted the poetic mind and the literary imagination of the pilot and watered his creative skills to write.

“The Little Prince is a poetic tale, self-illustrated in watercolors, in which a pilot stranded in the desert meets a young prince that has fallen to Earth from a tiny asteroid. The story is philosophical and includes societal criticism, remarking on the strangeness of the adult world.”

Philosophically speaking, The Little Prince stands for the little child and the little philosopher inside every human being who never stops asking questions about life, being and living, and who always chases answers and solutions to our existential dilemma on earth as humans.

We keep growing up, changing ages, stages, places on the road of living, but many of us seem to be unsatisfied with the answers we get from adults about the meaning of life. This is what pushes us continuously to enrich our experience and to build our knowledge, identities and personalities.

Saint-Exupery did not write his novel while he was in Tarfaya. He waited for nearly fourteen years for his memories and imagination to settle into his mind and flourish. Fourteen years was enough to produce a great piece of art and to attract a great number of readers all over the world and in all languages.

The desert, the stars, the dunes, the snakes and the search for the sheep and a well inside the desert are elements that are well exploited, literarily and poetically, by the writer in The Little Prince.

On page forty-eight, the snake declares, “this is the desert. There are no people in the desert. The earth is large”. Then the the Little Prince clearly claims his love of the desert in page sixty-two when he said, “I have always loved the desert. One sits on a desert sand dune, sees nothing, and hears nothing. Yet, through the silence something throbs, and gleams”.

Of course, this is the context of inspiration and creativity that poets search and strive for. Many poets long to be in the middle of nowhere, where they hear nothing and have the opportunity to listen to their inner voices of writing and creating.

“All men love the stars”, The Little Prince answered, “but they are not the same thing for different people. For some, who are travellers, the stars are guides. For others, they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems. For businessman, they were wealth. But all these stars are silent.”

According to Mr Mrabih Rabo Sadat Chbahto, president of Tarfaya’s Friends Association, “Saint-Exupery has been inspired by Trafaya and by the period of time he spent in our city. For us, The Little Prince would never be written if Saint-Exupery hadn’t been here. The desert, the stars, the ocean, the sand dunes and the wisdom of the people of the desert have inspired the writer and this can be seen by the readers of the Little Prince”.

Tarfaya has not forgotten its writer and every year the city organizes the festival of The Little Prince on the ocean. It is an opportunity to meet the family of Saint-Exupery, and to converse with his national and international readers and famous literary critics who come to Tarfaya to celebrate Saint- Exupery. People come from all over the world to praise the pilot, poet, writer and man who wrote The Little Prince, and most importantly to discover the city that inspired this world renowned story.

Tamellalte, the Forgotten Town – Short Story

Tamellalte, the Forgotten Town – Short Story

That time, I woke up early. I had looked at the sky. And then I looked at the other side of the river through the window. I was looking at buses and cars that were interrupted by the bray of a donkey going by. It was a cold day but with breezy weather. It was still an hour and half left until breakfast time. My mother had already woken up and she managed, as usual, to go to the orchards to bring the herbs for the sheep and cows. My little brother was still sleeping. He was laughing at my face even though he was asleep. He never looked at the window to the other world. Luckily, he was not tall enough to do so; but he would be able to very soon. I made no noise that might make him up. He was there until the sun burnt his face then he would wake up. As I had finished praying, my mother came out in her traditional dress, scythe in one hand and a piece of case in the other. It was a very nice morning. The vapor from amalal (the traditional kitchens) was scattered over the whole town; the smell of broth could be tested everywhere. People came out of their houses one by one like squirrels. Most of them, if not all, went to Igran (orchards); there life would be.

As I accompanied my mother to the orchards, a very deep attractive silence appealed to me to go ahead and goroaming across the orchards. But there was a furious sound of barking. It was of dogs. Dogs my mother feared too much. In fact our region was of countless dogs, but let them be. No way. I remembered her meticulous advice that she told me once. “Look my son; life is of difficulties; everybody has his raison d’être which he is made to fulfill but enemies and dogs are always barking at him. So never ever gaze at barking dogs; they are less mighty once you neglect them, however numerous they are.” I could not understand why she feared dogs and at the same time inspired me with encouragement and confidence.

Once my mother dispersed, got into the orchard, and hid behind the tall corn, I went to the river side. On my way to the river, I came across four girl-students but did not talk to them. They kept gazing at me. They were shivering from the cold. They were crossing the deep dark river, but they were happy. The school was six kilometres from their hometown. I could not control my anger after witnessing that scene of young girls crossing the lethal deep river of Draa. Abruptly I came back to the orchard. I sat under a date palm. I tried to contemplate the advice of my mother; I thought of it fastidiously and for a long time…. She was right. Dogs. She meant perhaps the ones with did not bark sound but that would bite at any occasion.

Tamellalte was bitten. I was really obsessed in my mind with many problems facing it. Tamellalte was really a forgotten town. I could not do more than confess that we had not yet been treated as human beings. WE WERE FORGOTTEN. I always asked some questions which drove me crazy; they should be answered however. What was the problem with those innocent students crossing the river? Why were we not able to have the infrastructure like those on the other side of which my little brother was not aware? Why the mitigating, undermining, neglecting, forgetting and dehumanising of us? Were those pregnant women who were in labour and were taken on mule-back doomed to death just because they were on the other side –the forgotten side- where technology and means of transportation were of negligible importance? I would never forget the woman who wanted to give birth to a child, was in labour, and went to the hospital on her feet; at the end, a nurse told her that she was not in labour and accordingly not about to give birth; she left the hospital, felt giddy and gave birth luckily in the house of a woman she had been acquainted with before.

Who was to blame? Of course, the one who was not a part of the problem could be a part of the solution. We wanted to feel that we were human. Who would change our status quo? Was it my mother who still believed that we were born to be so? Or was it the leader of the region who outsmarted and flattered people and described them as generous, benign, patient, and the like? I could not swallow at ease what I had been told that some girl-students on their way to the school were blackmailed and racially taunted as well as sexually harassed by the gangs. The other scapegoat was the one who came to celebrate the Eid (a religious holiday) with his family; he unfortunately was stoned and laid sick for three weeks. Circa 2000, Tamellalte did not have a concrete bridge; they had a bridge made of the logs of date palms. Once there was flood, the whole town would be isolated.

Out of the blue, my mother arrived from the orchard with a heavy load of herbs. She could read wrath in my face. She asked about what made me pale. I said “Dogs mom,” “Dogs mom,” “Dogs mom.” “But I did not hear their bark,” said my mother. You were made to hear them mom and because you were forgotten and in a forgotten town.

BM Events organized its first event for the benefit of Children

On July 13, Princess Lala Zineb inaugurated BM Events’ first event in Morocco at Villa Jawhara in Rabat, alongside its founder Yassine Abouyaala and many influential political and artistic figures from Morocco and abroad.

On this occasion, BM Events organized, in collaboration with a number of media agencies, its first event entitled, “La Nuit du Beldi” (an evening of traditional attire), for the benefit of Lala Meriem Center for Children Protection.

The goal was to bring awareness to the needs of these children in hopes of granting them the help and attention they need. Nabila Kilani hosted the event with a number of honorary guests, namely Moroccan actress Latifa Ahrar, the actress Wassila Subhi, Anas al-Baz, Farid Rajraji and the journalist Imane Kada.

In an atmosphere typical of the holy month of Ramadan, the invitees broke their fast right before the kick-off of the sublime fashion exhibition planned for the event.

The designers who showcased their magnificent work included, Meriem Belkhayat, Abdul Hanin Alruah, Safaa Ebrahimi, Amani Giati, Abdulwahab Bnhdo, and Abdul Wahad Belghazi.

The ceremony also featured singing performances, offered by two talented young Moroccan singers, Yousra Saouf, one of the most fascinating voices who participated in Arab Idol’s second edition, and Mourad Bouriki, the winner of The Voice’s previous edition.

When Yassine Abouyaala was asked about his impressions on the even the told MWN, “I am so delighted and particularly honored by the presence of HH Lala Zineb. I would like to congratulate the BM Events team thanks to whom the hard work paid off greatly.”

“I hope that the people who attended the event will visit the Center to give hand to these children. They do need our help,” he added.

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Moroccan Ramadan Cuisine: a recipe for Lsan Teer cookies

Moroccan Ramadan Cuisine: a recipe for Lsan Teer cookies

Lsan Teer, (bird’s tongue) known also as Wdinat Lghzal (gazelle’s ears) is a sweet honeyed Moroccan cookie served in snacks along with Moroccan mint tea. These golden brown sweets are also served in Lftour meal during Ramadan. Like Chebbakia, Lsan Teer is very sweet with diagonal cuts that gave it a nice shape.

It is a deep rooted custom in Moroccan culture that families serve cookies before principal meals in special occasions like weddings and other festivities.  Halwat Lsan teer is always served for these events along with other Moroccan authentic cookies like Lfekkas, Briwat and Kaab Lghzal.

Because of its high amount of sugar, and its special place in Moroccan cuisine, Moroccan families make it an essential element for Lftour meal during Ramdan.

Ingredients:

1 kg of white flour.

15 cl melt butter.

2 eggs.

1 baking powder.

A little of vanilla.

1tbsp orange blossom

(Enough water for kneading)

Oil for frying.

For garnish:

1 kg of honey.

Sesam.

 Way of preparation:

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, vanilla and salt.

2. Add butter and eggs then mix well.

3. Add water little by little and knead well by hands until you get smooth and cohesive dough (it shouldn’t be sticky.)

4. Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.

5. Now, you will pull off pieces of dough to form small balls.

6. This is a good time to heat up the comal or a skillet. Set it at medium to high heat.

7. On your oily work surface, work one at a time, remove each piece of dough and pat till it becomes thin.

8. Lay your tortilla on the hot comal or skillet. It takes just a few seconds to cook. Flip to the other side.

9. When they are done, cover them with a plastic paper to keep them soft.

10. In a small bowl, mix a half cup of water and 1 tbsp of flour.

11. Roll the tortilla and put some mixture of flour and water in the last tip of tortilla and close it.

12. Do the same with other tortillas.

13. Cut the rolled tortillas diagonally to form good shapes.

14. Heat oil and fry the pieces until their color is golden.

15. Dip them in honey and let them drain then sprinkle sesame on them.

Morocco Eid Al-Kabir

Eid Al-Adha, called in Morocco Eid Al-Kabir, refers to ‘The Great Eid’ and is a famous and religious festival that is celebrated all over the Islamic world. It is celebrated on the tenth of Dhou Al-hijja each lunar year of the Islamic calendar.

Religiously speaking, the root of this festival goes back to Abramham, who is deemed the father of all the Abrahamic religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Abraham saw in a dream God reveling to him that he should sacrifice his son Ishmael. He took his son to the mountain far from his mother so as to achieve God’s promise. As soon as Abraham put the knife on his son’s neck to slaughter him, God called him loudly from the seventh sky to take back his command. Then, God substituted Ishmael with a sheep. In Christianity and Judaism, Abraham’s son who would have been slaughtered was Isaac. Anyhow, this was just short summary of the story behind the Great Eid that is to be celebrated in the next few days.

The sacrifice is Sunna of the Prophet Mohammed. It was legitimated by God, through the Prophet, as an offer for forgiveness of sins and for getting closer to God’s mercy. The sacrifice is not circumscribed to just sheep, as the majority of people understand. However, the sacrifice is of Halal animals more broadly, that can be slaughtered on the Great Eid in order to approach the Almighty God. It must be done under certain conditions and at a specific time and place. Therefore, it should be kept in mind that the sheep is not the only animal that can be slaughtered in the Great Eid; other animals too, such as the camel, cow, and goat can be sacrificed. Thus, there is no requirement to perform the Eid only with sheep; other choices are religiously and economically acceptable. All of them have one result: to bring closeness to God.

In Morocco, the Great Eid has taken social, economic, and customary dimensions. When the Eid draws near its fixed day, families and individuals start seeking the suitable sheep to sacrifice. Despite the fact that the slaughter is not mandatory upon those who cannot come up with the money for it, several poor families borrow money in order to buy a sheep or goat for the Eid.

In the Moroccan cities sheep is the most common animal that is slaughtered, while in the villages the goat is the animal that is most commonly slaughtered. In the morning of the Great Eid, Muslims dress up their Jellaba and Jabador or put on the best attire available, and they go to the mosque or to the Mussala (an open-air space outside the cities and villages) in order to make the prayer of Eid.

After they pray, they perform the sacrifice ritual. In the evening of the Eid, families visit each other. The Great Eid is the day of happiness when families have various ways of cooking delicious dishes of meat based on their traditions. This religious holiday goes on for three days.

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Most Popular Moroccan Desserts Recipes

Most Popular Moroccan Desserts Recipes

Moroccan soups are tasty and fortifying and are accompanied during Ramadan with an assortment of sugary sweets to boost energy levels after a day of fasting  The Ramadan fast is broken with harira a lentil and tomato based soup. dates and dried figs and  chebakia, which are flower-shaped cookies soaked in honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Sweets are an integral part of the social aspect of Ramadan and the ftour meal.

Stuffed Dates include Orange flower water and cinnamon which are used to flavor the almond paste filling. Makrout with Dates and Honey is another special occasion sweet which is popular in Ramadan. A mild date paste is enclosed in a log of semolina dough, then the  cookies are sliced, fried and dipped in honey.

Almond Briouats are made by folding almond paste flavored with orange flower water and cinnamon within warqa dough. The pastries are fried and then soaked briefly in honey.  Cheese briouats are foiled with cream cheese filling. Herbs or hot peppers can be added for more flavor.

Hssoua Belboua is barley soup with milk. It combines barley grits with milk to yield a rich, creamy soup that’s both nutritious and satisfying.  There is also Semolina soup with milk, anise seeds and honey.

After the soup comes a variety of breads such as msemen and rghayif (layered flatbreads cooked in a skillet); puffed, pita breadlike rounds called batbout; and perhaps some harcha, an unleavened flatbread, sometimes made with cornmeal. Arrayed with them on the table are marmalades, butter, and cheeses, often including the fresh cheese jben. There are bowls of olives and others of hard-boiled eggs, which are peeled and then dipped in ground cumin or black pepper. Moroccans living along the Atlantic coast will also serve fried fish, usually sardines.

Another  favorite are triangular or cylindrical phyllo briouats. Briouats, are pan-fried—not baked—to golden deliciousness. Some are savory, stuffed with fresh cheese and finished with a drizzle of honey, while others are sweet, filled with crushed almonds, sugar, and spices.

Sweets reappear at the end of the ftour meal. Platters are piled with cookies, among them twice-baked Moroccan Tea Biscuits known as fekkas with their lovely scent of orange-flower water.”Treats such as m’hanncha, called “snake cake” for its concentric circles, are another representative dessert. Dates reappear on the table, this time stuffed, often with a homemade almond paste.

Sellou is a  Moroccan sweet  served during Ramadan made from toasted sesames, fried almonds and flour that has been browned in the oven.

For More Information on Moroccan Ramadan Sweets and Islamic Holidays

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Almond Briouats are made by folding almond paste flavored with orange flower water and cinnamon within warqa dough. The pastries are fried and then soaked briefly in honey.  Cheese briouats are foiled with cream cheese filling. Herbs or hot peppers can be added for more flavor.
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Moroccan Desserts, Cookies, Pastries and Sweets

Moroccan Desserts, Cookies, Pastries and Sweets
Fresh fruit is the traditional ending to a Moroccan meal, but you'll want to have lots of Moroccan cookies and pastries on hand to go with afternoon tea or coffee. From rich almond pastries like m'hencha to crunchy biscotti-like fekkas, there's sure to be a traditional Moroccan cookie recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth.
The French introduced waffles (gaufres) to Morocco, where you can find them in bakeries or sold by vendors as a snack or street food. Instead of syrup, they're often served with a dusting of powdered sugar, whipped cream or a drizzle of chocolate sauce or Nutella.

Waffles are quite easy to make at home, which is really the best way to enjoy these tasty batter cakes. Consider replacing all or some of the white flour with whole wheat flour. If offering the waffles as a base for a savory topping, omit the vanilla and reduce the sugar to 1 or 2 teaspoons.

The recipe calls for folding beaten egg whites into the batter; this yields a lighter textured waffle. If you prefer a denser waffle, simply use the whole eggs when mixing the wet ingredients.

Note that the yield may vary according to your waffle iron. Serve the waffles for breakfast, tea time or when breaking the fast in Ramadan.

For other French-influenced tea time or breakfast treats, also try the Crepes or Beignets recipes.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 8 waffles, approx. 4" x 6"

Ingredients:

3 eggs, separated
250 g (2 cups) all purpose flour
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
85 g (6 tablespoons) melted butter or vegetable oil
355 ml (1 1/2 cups) milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preparation:

Beat the egg whites with an electric whisk until stiff. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat together the egg yolks, melted butter, milk and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until well-blended, but not smooth. The batter will be lumpy; this is okay.

With a rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter until evenly incorporated.

Preheat your waffle iron. When ready, spoon batter onto the iron and cook the waffles until golden brown. Serve as the waffles come off the iron, or transfer the waffles to a rack to cool. Note that the waffles will soften and lose their crisp exterior as they cool.

To warm and crisp cooled waffles, preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C). Place the waffles directly on the oven rack, not in a pan, and heat just until hot to the touch, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately with toppings of your choice.
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Moroccan cuisine

Moroccan cuisine is extremely refined through interactions and exchanges of Morocco with other cultures and nations over the centuries. Moroccan cuisine has been subject to Berber, Arab, and Arab influences. The cooks in the royal cuisine of Fes, Meknes, Marrakech, Rabat and Tetouan refined over the centuries and created the basis of what is known as Moroccan cuisine today.

Morocco produces a large range of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables and even some tropical countries. Common meats are beef, mutton and lamb, chicken, camel, rabbit and seafood, which are the basis for the kitchen. Characteristic flavors include lemon pickle, cold-pressed, unrefined olive oil and dried fruits. It is also known to be much stronger than the spicy cuisine of the Middle East.

Spices are used extensively in Moroccan cuisine. While spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many ingredients - like Tiliouine saffron, mint and olives from Meknes, and oranges and lemons from Fez - are locally sourced. Common spices include karfa (cinnamon), Kamoun (cumin), kharkoum (turmeric), skinjbir (ginger), Libzar (pepper), tahmira (paprika), anise seeds, sesame seeds, qesbour (cilantro) and Zaafran beldi (saffron). Common herbs include mint and maadnous (parsley).

Lunch is the main meal, except during the holy month of Ramadan. A typical meal begins with a series of hot and cold salads, followed by a tagine. The bread is eaten at every meal. Often, for a formal meal, a lamb or chicken dish, followed by couscous topped with meat and vegetables. A cup of mint tea usually ends the meal. Moroccans often eat with their hands and use bread as a utensil. The consumption of pork and alcohol are considered haram, and are forbidden by Muslim dietary restrictions.
The main Berber Moroccan dish most people are familiar with couscous, old national delicacy. Beef is the meat most commonly eaten red Morocco. Lamb is also consumed, but as store Northern sheep breeds most of their fat in their tails, Moroccan lamb Africa does not have the pungent flavor than lamb and mutton in the West. Poultry is also very common, and use of seafood is increasing in Moroccan cuisine. Among the most famous Moroccan Berber dishes are Couscous, Pastilla (also spelled Bsteeya or Bestilla), Tajine, tanjia and harira. Although the latter is a soup, it is considered as a dish itself and is served as such or with dates especially during the month of Ramadan. The consumption of pork is prohibited under Sharia, the religious law of Islam.

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La cuisine marocaine

La cuisine marocaine est extrêmement raffiné, grâce à des interactions et des échanges du Maroc avec d'autres cultures et nations au cours des siècles. La cuisine marocaine a fait l'objet d'berbère, arabe, et les influences arabes. Les cuisiniers dans la cuisine royale de Fès, Meknès, Marrakech, Rabat et Tétouan affinés au fil des siècles et a créé la base de ce qui est connu comme la cuisine marocaine aujourd'hui.

Le Maroc produit une large gamme de fruits et légumes méditerranéens et même certains les pays tropicaux. Viandes communs sont le bœuf, le mouton et l'agneau, le poulet, le chameau, le lapin et fruits de mer, qui servent de base pour la cuisine. Arômes caractéristiques comprennent citron cornichon, pressée à froid, l'huile d'olive non raffinée et fruits secs. Il est également connu pour être beaucoup plus fortement épicée que la cuisine du Moyen-Orient.

Les épices sont largement utilisés dans la cuisine marocaine. Bien que les épices ont été importées au Maroc depuis des milliers d'années, de nombreux ingrédients - comme le safran de Tiliouine, la menthe et les olives de Meknès, et les oranges et les citrons de Fès - sont d'origine locale. Épices communs incluent karfa (cannelle), Kamoun (cumin), kharkoum (curcuma), skinjbir (gingembre), Libzar (poivre), tahmira (paprika), graines d'anis, les graines de sésame, qesbour (coriandre) et Zaafran beldi (safran) . Herbes courantes comprennent la menthe et maadnous (persil).

Le repas de midi est le repas principal, sauf pendant le mois sacré du Ramadan. Un repas typique commence par une série de salades chaudes et froides, suivis par un tajine. Le pain est consommé à chaque repas. Souvent, pour un repas formel, un agneau ou de poulet plat, qui sera suivi par couscous garni de viande et de légumes. Une tasse de thé à la menthe se termine généralement le repas. Marocains mangent souvent avec leurs mains et d'utiliser le pain comme un ustensile. La consommation de viande de porc et l'alcool sont considérés comme haram, et sont interdits par les restrictions alimentaires musulmanes.

Le principal berbère marocain plat plupart des gens sont familiers avec le couscous, le vieux délicatesse national. Le boeuf est la viande la plus couramment consommés rouge au Maroc. Lamb est également consommé, mais comme magasin d'Afrique du Nord races ovines plus de leur graisse dans leurs queues, agneau marocain n'a pas la saveur piquante que l'agneau et le mouton de l'Ouest ont. La volaille est également très fréquente, et l'utilisation des fruits de mer est en augmentation dans la cuisine marocaine. Parmi les plus célèbres plats berbères marocains sont Couscous, Pastilla (également orthographié Bsteeya ou Bestilla), Tajine, Tanjia et Harira. Bien que cette dernière est une soupe, il est considéré comme un plat en soi et est servi tel quel ou avec des dates en particulier pendant le mois de Ramadan. La consommation de porc est interdite conformément à la charia, les lois religieuses de l'Islam.

Moroccan cuisine

Moroccan cuisine is extremely refined, thanks to Morocco's interactions and exchanges with other cultures and nations over the centuries. Moroccan cuisine has been subject to Berber, Moorish, and Arab influences. The cooks in the royal kitchens of Fes, Meknes, Marrakesh, Rabat and Tetouan refined it over the centuries and created the basis for what is known as Moroccan cuisine today.

Morocco produces a large range of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables and even some tropical ones. Common meats include beef, mutton and lamb, chicken, camel, rabbit and seafood, which serve as a base for the cuisine. Characteristic flavorings include lemon pickle, cold-pressed, unrefined olive oil and dried fruits. It is also known for being far more heavily spiced than Middle Eastern cuisine.

Spices are used extensively in Moroccan food. Although spices have been imported to Morocco for thousands of years, many ingredients — like saffron from Tiliouine, mint and olives from Meknes, and oranges and lemons from Fez — are home-grown. Common spices include karfa (cinnamon), kamoun (cumin), kharkoum (turmeric), skinjbir (ginger), libzar (pepper), tahmira (paprika), anise seed, sesame seeds, qesbour (coriander), and zaafran beldi (saffron). Common herbs include mint and maadnous (parsley).

The midday meal is the main meal, except during the holy month of Ramadan. A typical meal begins with a series of hot and cold salads, followed by a tagine. Bread is eaten with every meal. Often, for a formal meal, a lamb or chicken dish is next, followed by couscous topped with meat and vegetables. A cup of sweet mint tea usually ends the meal. Moroccans often eat with their hands and use bread as a utensil. The consumption of pork and alcohol are considered Haraam, and are prohibited per Muslim dietary restrictions.
The main Moroccan Berber dish most people are familiar with is couscous, the old national delicacy. Beef is the most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco. Lamb is also consumed, but as North African sheep breeds store most of their fat in their tails, Moroccan lamb does not have the pungent flavour that Western lamb and mutton have. Poultry is also very common, and the use of seafood is increasing in Moroccan food. Among the most famous Moroccan Berber dishes are Couscous, Pastilla (also spelled Bsteeya or Bestilla), Tajine, Tanjia and Harira. Although the latter is a soup, it is considered as a dish in itself and is served as such or with dates especially during the month of Ramadan. Pork consumption is forbidden in accordance with Sharia, religious laws of Islam.

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