Maghrebi cuisine

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Couscous, here served with vegetables and meat, is one of the most characteristic dishes of the Maghreb.

Maghreb cuisine is the cooking of the Maghreb region, the northwesternmost part of Africa along the Mediterranean Sea, consisting of the countries of Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. Well-known dishes from the region include couscous, pastilla, tajine and shakshouka.

Origins

The Maghreb

The cuisine of the Maghreb, the western region of North Africa, includes that of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya, is by origin a mixture of Arabian, Berber and Mediterranean cuisines, with historic influences from Ottoman and European cuisines.[1][2][3] The cuisines of Algeria, Tunisia and Libya and Morocco have also been influenced by French and Italian cuisine respectively.[1][4][5][6]

Cuisine

See also: Moroccan cuisine, Algerian cuisine, Tunisian cuisine, Libyan cuisine, and Mauritanian cuisine

In Maghrebi cuisine, the most common

dates, almonds, olives and various vegetables and fruits
.

Because the region is predominantly

Muslim, halal meats are usually eaten. Most dishes are spiced.[11]

The use of

"oil-cured" olives are distinctive elements of the cuisine.[9]

The best-known Maghrebi dish abroad is couscous,[12] made from wheat semolina.[11] The tajine, a cooking vessel made of clay, is also a common denominator in this region, although the dishes and preparation methods vary widely. For example, a tajine in Tunisia is a baked quiche-like dish,[13] whereas in Morocco it is a slow-cooked stew.[14] Pastilla is also an important Andalusian dish of the region.[15]

Spices

Spices found in this region's cuisine are

cloves, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper and turmeric.[16] Fresh peppermint, parsley, or coriander are also very common. Spice mixtures such as ras el hanout, baharat, and chili pastes like harissa (especially in Tunisia
) are frequently used as well.

Image gallery

  • Couscous with vegetables, topped with tfaya and toasted almonds
    Couscous with vegetables, topped with tfaya and toasted almonds
  • Brik with egg, tuna, onion and parsley
    Brik with egg, tuna, onion and parsley
  • Méchoui, a whole sheep, spit-roasted
    Méchoui, a whole sheep, spit-roasted
  • Shakshouka with egg
    Shakshouka with egg
  • Pastilla with meat
    Pastilla with meat
  • Bread, baked the traditional way
    Bread, baked the traditional way
  • Moroccan tajine with bread and mint tea
    Moroccan tajine with bread and mint tea
  • Ghoriba
    Ghoriba

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0-19-967733-6
    .
  2. ISBN 978-1-118-39957-6
    . The cuisine of North Africa, including Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia, blends Arabian influence with the traditional regional Berber cuisine, the original inhabitants of North Africa west of the Nile. This area also had many influences from various Mediterranean invaders and European traders and travelers, evident through various ingredients and cooking methods still in use today.
  3. ISBN 978-0-9929374-2-3
    . Maghreb cuisine is a mixture of Mediterranean, Arab and Berber traditions with a range of historical influences from European colonialism and Ottoman expansion.
  4. ISBN 0-19-967733-6
    .
  5. ISBN 0-19-967733-6
    .
  6. ISBN 0-19-967733-6
    .
  7. ISBN 978-0-412-08111-8
    .
  8. ISBN 978-0-19-973496-2
    .
  9. ^
    ISBN 1-111-79970-9
    .
  10. ^ a b c d "North African Cuisine." Archived 2016-04-03 at the Wayback Machine Jamaica Observer. Accessed June 2011.
  11. ^ a b Mourad, Mazouz. "The Momo Cookbook." Archived 2011-09-19 at the Wayback Machine The Globalist. Accessed June 2011.
  12. ^ Cheshes, Jay (12 November 2012). "Couscous Royale". Saveur. Retrieved 3 October 2016. North Africa's best-known dish has become one of the most widely consumed foods in France. These days, even ordinary neighborhood bistros often feature a couscous special one day of the week.
  13. ^ "Tunisian Tagine". BBC. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  14. ^ Cloake, Felicity (13 March 2013). "How to make the perfect chicken tagine". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 October 2016. Does this most famous of all Moroccan dishes actually need to be cooked in a real tagine?
  15. ^ Best, Cassie. "Chicken & almond pastillas". BBC. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  16. ^ Winget, Mary. Cooking the North African Way. p. 22.

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for North African cuisine.
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