A Morocco Celebration (Spécial Food and drinks)
A Morocco Celebration
Spécial Food and drinks
Few
people outside of cities have clocks in Morocco, instead scheduling their days
around the five calls to prayer and the five daily meals. Yes,
there are five. Breakfast comes early in the morning, followed by a second
breakfast at mid-morning. Lunch is served at midday, and in the late afternoon
there is a break for tea and bread. Finally, dinner is served in the late
evening.
These
rhythms are predictable and universally held across the country. What you can
expect to find on a Moroccan table at any one of these meals is also not too
hard to guess. Morocco has a long and proud culinary tradition, and families
rarely stray far from the basics. Luckily, the basics are universally
delicious.
Tea
Tea – The other mainstay of the
Moroccan diet, tea is the national drink and revered as such. This isn’t any
tea you’ve likely had before, though ; Moroccan tea is brewed in a very certain
way. Starting with gunpowder style green tea, masses of sugar and fresh sprigs
of mint are added to the steeping brew, creating a syrupy-sweet concoction that
is never far from any table. It is served with breakfasts and tea breaks, and
as dessert after lunches and dinners. While visitors often struggle with the
sugar content, Moroccans will be impressed if you take the tea as they do. It’s
something to try at least once—if you have a real sweet tooth, you’ll feel
right at home.
Tagine
Tagine – The name of this dish actually comes from the
conical clay pot in which it is cooked and served. Tagine is a thick stew of
vegetables, whatever may be on hand or in season, with a bit of meat added in
the middle. The dish is served hot, and presented in a single dish to the table
of diners. Moroccan meals are a communal affair, and the tagine is shared from
the single pot, with each diner keeping to their own ‘triangle’ of the dish.
Rather than use spoons or forks, tagine is eaten with bread. Tearing a small
piece off a larger slice, the idea is to use the bread to soak up some of the
broth while also scooping up some of the vegetables and meat. Tagine is usually
eaten for both dinner and lunch and is the standard meal within the Moroccan
diet.
Couscous
Couscous – When people think of Moroccan foods, they often
think of couscous. Moroccans are proud of their de-facto national dish, and are
very particular about its preparation. Rather than boiling the dried couscous
in a covered pot as is often done in North America, the couscous is placed into
a steamer above a pot of boiling vegetables. The couscous is steamed this way
for an hour or more, periodically fluffed by hand. When the couscous is ready,
it is served in a single large plate, the vegetables poured over the top. As
with tagine, couscous is eaten by hand—a difficult skill for visitors to
develop. Because of the labor-intensive nature of its preparation, couscous is
seen more as a special occasion dish than a daily staple. Many families have
couscous each Friday (the holy day), as well as in honor of guests or special
events.
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