The Art of Moroccan Cooking: History, Influence, and Flavor:

The Moroccan cuisine is considered one of the most diverse in the world, thanks to Morocco's long interaction with many cultures and civilizations throughout history. This rich diversity is attributed to Morocco's geographical location as a key trade and cultural hub, along with the influences of migration and civilizations that have passed through the country over the centuries. The Moroccan cuisine is shaped by many influences, starting with the local Amazigh cuisine and extending to Andalusian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean kitchens, as well as African culinary traditions.

Historical Development and Cultural Diversity:

For centuries, chefs in cities like Fez, Meknes, Marrakech, Rabat, and Tetouan played a significant role in developing Moroccan recipes and dishes. These cities, especially Fez and Marrakech, became centers for refined cooking, where skilled chefs mastered the art of blending local ingredients with foreign influences. Over time, these culinary traditions evolved into a key part of Moroccan identity. By 2012, Moroccan cuisine ranked first in the Arab world and Africa, and second globally after France, a recognition of its significant international standing.

Couscous and Cultural Heritage:

In an effort to further acknowledge Moroccan cuisine globally, the Kingdom of Morocco submitted an official request to UNESCO in 2019. On December 16, 2020, couscous and the knowledge of its production and consumption were included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Couscous is one of Morocco's most famous dishes, showcasing the cuisine's ability to combine essential ingredients like grains, vegetables, and meats into a wholesome meal that reflects family and community traditions.

Cultural Influences:

Moroccan cuisine is not just a product of local culture but also the result of various influences from different civilizations. Morocco has been home to multiple cultures, including Amazigh, Arab, and African. It has also absorbed influences from immigrants who arrived throughout history. One of the significant influences came from the Moriscos, Muslim refugees expelled from Spain during the Spanish Inquisition, who brought Andalusian cooking techniques to Morocco.

Moroccan cuisine was also influenced by refugees fleeing the Abbasid empire in the Middle Ages, who settled in Morocco and brought traditional recipes from Baghdad. One of the prominent influences is the combination of meat and fruit, such as lamb with quince or chicken with apricots, which was common in Abbasid cuisine and became a distinctive feature of Moroccan dishes.

Characteristics of Moroccan Cooking:

One of the key elements that distinguishes Moroccan cuisine is the clever use of spices. Ingredients like saffron, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and cumin are used skillfully to add depth and complexity to dishes. The tagine, for example, is a symbol of traditional Moroccan cooking and is known for its rich flavor, thanks to the careful use of these spices.

Chefs and Craftsmanship:

Throughout the centuries, chefs in major cities like Fez and Marrakech have been integral to the development of distinctive Moroccan recipes. These chefs not only advanced cooking techniques but also preserved culinary traditions by passing down recipes from generation to generation.

According to Paula Wolfert, a specialist in Moroccan cuisine and the author of the most famous book on the subject (see the cookbook section):

"In my opinion, four things are necessary for a nation to develop a great cuisine. The first is an abundance of ingredients and a wealthy country. Secondly, cultural diversity: the nation's history, including foreign dominance, often brings back culinary secrets from imperial adventures. Third, a great civilization; if a country hasn’t had a bright day in its history, it may not have a great cuisine. Great dishes and great civilizations go hand in hand. Finally, the presence of an elegant court life—without royal kitchens, without Versailles or the Forbidden City in Beijing, in short, if there is no demand for cultural assemblies, the nation’s chefs' imagination won’t be challenged. Fortunately, Morocco has all four."

   Ingredients:

Morocco produces a wide variety of Mediterranean fruits and vegetables, and even some tropical ones. It also produces large quantities of lamb, poultry, cattle, and fish, which form the foundation of Moroccan cuisine.

   Use of Spices:

Spices are widely used in Moroccan dishes. Spice importation to Morocco began thousands of years ago, and many local ingredients, such as saffron for coloring, mint and olives from Meknes, and oranges and lemons from Fez, have become integral to Moroccan cuisine. The array of spices includes cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, paprika, anise seeds, sesame seeds, cilantro, parsley, thyme, celery, local saffron, and mint.

   Meal Structure in Morocco:

Lunch is the main meal of the day, except during the holy month of Ramadan. The official meal presentation starts with a series of hot and cold salads, followed by a tagine. Bread is eaten with every meal. The main course often includes lamb or chicken, followed by couscous with meat and vegetables. The meal typically ends with a cup of Moroccan mint tea. It is common for Moroccans to eat with three fingers and use bread to accompany the meal. Additionally, serving couscous on Fridays has become a long-standing tradition.

  Main Dishes:

The most widely consumed dish in Morocco is couscous, a very ancient dish originally created by the Berbers. Chicken is the most commonly consumed meat, followed by beef and lamb. Moroccan lamb tends to be less fatty, which gives it a milder flavor compared to lamb from Western countries, which can have an overpowering taste.

Some of the most famous Moroccan dishes include couscous, pastilla, m'hanncha, mrouzia, Moroccan tagine (especially prune tagine and chicken with olives), tangia, zaalouk, bissara, harcha, batbout, msemen, baghrir, rfissa, and harira. Despite being a soup, harira is considered a complete meal, usually served with dates during Ramadan.

    Salads:

Moroccan salads consist of both raw and cooked vegetables, served either hot or cold. Among the cold salads are zaalouk, a mix of eggplant and tomatoes, and taktouka, a blend of tomatoes, smoked green peppers, garlic, and spices, which is a signature of the cuisine from Fez and Taza in the Atlas mountains.

    Sweets:

Moroccan sweets are not necessarily served at the end of a meal. A popular dessert is "kaab el ghazal" (gazelle horns), which are almond-filled pastries dusted with sugar. Another is "chebakia," a fried dough dipped in honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds, especially consumed during Ramadan. Other desserts include coconut cakes, briouat, krachel, ghriba, feqqas, sellou, and meskouta (cake).

    Drinks:

The most popular beverage in Morocco is green tea with mint. Traditionally, preparing mint tea is considered an art form, and drinking it with family and friends is one of the day's most important rituals. The way tea is poured is as important as its quality, often served with sugar cones or cubes.

    Moroccan Street Food:

Street food has long been a staple in Morocco, with the best example being the stalls in Jemaa el-Fnaa square in Marrakech. Starting in the 1980s, new restaurants began offering "bocadillos" (a Spanish word for sandwich, widely used in Morocco). A bocadillo is a French baguette filled with salad and a choice of meats, or sometimes tortilla, a term also commonly used in Morocco.

In the 1990s, a new trend emerged: dairy and juice shops (called "mahlabas" in Moroccan Arabic) spread across cities, offering a wide variety of dairy products, juices, and breakfasts, along with bocadillos, competing fiercely with traditional restaurants.

By the late 1990s, multinational fast food chains, particularly McDonald's, began to open in major cities across the country.