OUARZAZATE, Morocco — Returning from Morocco, already I’m nostalgic for the sharp sunlight, the bustle of the souks (markets) and the tang of mint and spice compounded with dust from the desert. I have crossed the double barrier of the Atlas mountain ranges that are tipped with snow during the three months of winter. The famous walled cities of Marrakesh and Fes are far behind.
Here in the northern borders of the Sahara, my imagination is captured by the endless horizons, rose pink sand dunes and occasional oases of palm trees that may, or may not, prove to be a mirage as I drive toward them.
Morocco is romantic, and it is also the home of remarkably good food. Even in dusty one-street villages, I find thriving outdoor markets. Vegetables including peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, onions, Swiss chard and carrots are brought in each morning from the irrigated plots surrounding the town.
Freshly killed chickens, lamb and beef are available and goat, should I fancy it. Fruits are seasonal, citrus in winter, melons, figs, dates and pomegranates in summer and dried fruits all year around. With these ordinary ingredients, Moroccans have created a full-flavored, vivid cuisine that resembles no other.
First key is the spices and local cooks do not hesitate to combine half a dozen or more. The mix called (ital) ras el hanout (unital) includes cinnamon, cloves, ground ginger, coriander seed, black peppercorns, hot pepper and turmeric, always with generous amounts of cumin, which is a potent, earthy spice that for me sums up the flavors of Morocco. Like curry powder, the formula for (ital) ras el hanout (unital) varies from cook to cook. Aromatic and hot but not fiery, the powder makes a distinctive rub for grills and it is delicious in the famous Moroccan tajines.
Here’s the second key to Moroccan cooking: the earthenware cooking pot with a tall conical lid called a tajine. (Food cooked in it has the same name.) The saucer-shaped base is deep enough to hold a small amount of liquid, while the conical lid traps steam so the food cooks gently in its own juices, mellowing and concentrating the flavors. Traditional tajines are shaped from thick, heavy clay that is glazed and sometimes crudely decorated. Sophisticated versions exist in white porcelain, but to me they clash with the robust food that is cooked inside.
Fresh coriander and mild green olives are notable in Moroccan cooking. Along with the tajine, you might enjoy a soft white bread to soak up the fragrant sauce. Couscous is served in Morocco as a separate dish, customary on Friday, the day of prayer and rest.
Opening a Moroccan meal is likely to be an array of cooked vegetable salads, spicy but light, or simple dishes of olives and salted almonds or peanuts — all of them local crops. Dessert may be flan, fruits in season, such as tangerines, or the pointed almond-stuffed pastries called gazelle horns.
In the big cities beer and wine can be found, but forget alcohol here in the south. The choice is Coke, bottled water or fresh OJ, if I’m lucky. To end the meal comes sweet, pungent mint tea, the ultimate refreshment in desert conditions and a favorite with the local, mainly Berber, population. In every market the herb and spice sellers stock fresh and dried mint, including spearmint and the less common peppermint. I like to select a bit of this and that, blending them together and stuffing them in the traditional pot-bellied metal teapot with a long, curving spout.
Boiling water is added and the tea is left to steep about five minutes.(Left longer and it may be bitter.) Pouring is a ceremony. The spout of the pot is held just above the small (about a half cup) tea glass. As soon as the tea flows, the pot is lifted so the liquid pours out in a graceful curve. It is then lowered again and set upright. A light, even froth forms on the tea. The higher the pot is lifted, the more accomplished the pourer.
(Anne Willan founded La Varenne, the famous French cooking school, and directs its culinary programs at the ChaFteau du FeyJ in Burgundy, France, and at The Greenbrier in West Virginia. She is well known on both sides of the Atlantic as a leading authority on cooking, with over 35 years’ experience as a teacher, cookbook author and food columnist.)
