Maghrebi cuisine

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, and is by origin a mixture of Arabian, Berber and Mediterranean cuisines, with historic influences from Ottoman and European cuisines.<ref name="ocf-algeria"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The cuisines of Algeria, Tunisia and Libya and Morocco have also been influenced by French and Italian cuisine respectively.<ref name="ocf-algeria">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref name="ocf-morocco">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref name="ocf-tunisia">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref name="ocf-libya">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

Cuisine

Template:See alsoTemplate:More information In Maghrebi cuisine, the most common staple foods are wheat (for khobz bread<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and couscous<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>),<ref name=MacVeigh>Template:Cite book</ref> fish, seafood, goat,<ref name="Jamaica Observer">"North African Cuisine." Template:Webarchive Jamaica Observer. Accessed June 2011.</ref> lamb,<ref name="Jamaica Observer"/> beef,<ref name="Jamaica Observer"/> dates, almonds, olives and various vegetables and fruits.

Because the region is predominantly Muslim, halal meats are usually eaten. Most dishes are spiced.<ref name="momo">Mourad, Mazouz. "The Momo Cookbook." Template:Webarchive The Globalist. Accessed June 2011.</ref>

The use of legumes, nuts, fruits and spices is very prominent.<ref name="Jamaica Observer"/> Salt-preserved lemons (l'hamd mrakad) and so-called "oil-cured" olives are distinctive elements of the cuisine.<ref name=MacVeigh/>

The best-known Maghrebi dish abroad is couscous,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> made from wheat semolina.<ref name="momo"/> 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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> whereas in Morocco it is a slow-cooked stew.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pastilla is also an important Andalusian dish of the region.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Spices

Spices found in this region's cuisine are ginger, allspice, caraway, saffron, paprika, cloves, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper and turmeric.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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
• 
  Brik with egg, tuna, onion and parsley
• 
  Méchoui, a whole sheep, spit-roasted
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  Shakshouka with egg
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  Pastilla with meat
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  Bread, baked the traditional way
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  Moroccan tajine with bread and mint tea
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  Ghoriba
• 
  Berkoukes

See also

• List of African cuisines
• List of African dishes