North African cuisine
The term North African cuisine is used to describe the cuisine in the Maghreb , i.e. in Morocco , Algeria , Tunisia , Libya and Mauritania .
Typical components of North African cuisine are fish , seafood , sheep and lamb , dates , almonds , olives , various vegetables , grapes and fruit as well as the omnipresent chickpeas .
A well-known starter is salads . As a main course are braised dishes such as tagines and grilled skewers ( Mechouia ) common. The most famous North African dish is certainly couscous .
Most North African and Arabic dishes are heavily flavored. The dishes are enriched with cumin , nutmeg , cinnamon and saffron . Fresh peppermint , nano mint or coriander should not be missing either. Salt lemons continue to be an important flavor ingredient, especially in Morocco . Spice mixes such as Ras el-Hanout and Baharat and the hot chili paste harissa are widely used .
Flatbreads are served with the main course , originally as a forerunner of cutlery . At the end of an Arabic meal, sweet, honey-soaked desserts come on the table. In North African countries, water , mineral water or fruit juice is drunk while eating ; alcoholic beverages are rarely served. For dessert, the region's typical tea with nano mint is served (see Maghrebian tea culture ).
literature
- Florian Harms, Lutz Jäkel: Culinary Arabia . Library of the Orient - Edition Christian Brandstätter, 2004, ISBN 3-85498-335-2
- Mohamad Nader Asfahani, Brigitta Kook, Marianne Wirth (illustrations): North African cuisine: Original recipes from the Maghrib countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya . 9th edition Asfani, Hamburg 1991, ISBN 3-927459-94-1 .