Moroccan food glossary and food terms
GLOSSARY OF FOODS AND FOOD TERMS
Amalou: a smooth thick blend of crushed almonds, honey and olive
oil used as a spread on Khboz (regular bread) or fried breads, and
as an ingredient in a breakfast gruel called Zematur.
Barbary Figs: name given to a succulent pear-shaped fruit of a type
of cactus plant. Also called prickly pear.
Bisteeya, Pastilla, or Bastilla: one of the most important Moroccan
dishes, of Berber origin and inevitably part of any diffa
(banquet). A large circular pie, composed of many buttery, tissue-thin
layers of pastry (Warka) enclosing lamb, eggs, vegetables and usually
pigeon meat all salted and spiced, redolent with cinnamon and almonds.
Boukha: sweet brandy distilled from figs.
Braiwats: similar to the Greek Tiropetes. Tissue-thin
Warka pastry oiled or generously buttered and filled with cheese or
other savory mixtures then pinched or folded and finally baked or
deep-fried and served crisp and hot.
Brik: deep-fried meat turnovers but made with Warka pastry and
often filled with a whole raw egg that cooks during the deep-frying. While
eating, some care is needed not to dribble the soft-cooked yolk. Tunisian
classic, eaten also in Morocco.
Chele or Khelea: a preserved form of beef used as a snack,
appetizer or as flavoring in other dishes. The selected pieces of beef are
spice-rubbed, sun-dried, then oil-cooked, and finally preserved in oil
until used.
Chermoula: Tunisian dish of sautéed fish served with a sweet and
sour sauce of raisins and wine vinegar touched with sugar.
Chorba: name given to any thin soup.
Couscous: classic Moroccan dish of
Berber origin. Basically this is a dish of specially prepared grains over
or beside which is served a stew of vegetables and meats with a
well-seasoned sauce. The classic Couscous is prepared from wheat flour
rubbed with dribbles of water to form tiny grains. Often the Couscous may
be purchased in this form. Cooking is done by steaming (no cover) over a
bubbling stew or boiling water in a pan with a perforated base. The
two-layer pot used to prepare both the stew and the Couscous grains is
called a couscousiere. Note that Couscous may be made with any
grain and sometimes even with sprouted grains or even dried bread crumbs.
Djej: chicken.
Doqq: salt-preserved lemons. Moroccan Jews often prepare Doqq by
preserving their lemons in oil as well as salt. Indispensable to Moroccan
cuisine.
Harira: one of the most famous of Moroccan soups, a meal in itself.
It is made with browned pieces of lamb, lentils and garbanzos, noodles and
vegetables all pungent with ginger, coriander, and pepper. The final touch
may be threads of lemony eggs or a thickening of slightly fermented flour
and water stirred in just before serving. Large bowls of this, accompanied
with sweet pastries, dates, and other fruits are the usual sundown meal of
the month of Ramadan.
Harissa: a smooth peppery sauce added to the Couscous by the diner
according to taste. If it is true that Moroccan sauces are "everything,"
then the Harissa is truly important for it always accompanies the Couscous
(unless it is a dessert couscous) and usually enhances many other foods.
The base of this sauce is usually the slow-simmered juices of the stew
accompanying the Couscous, thus the blend while being peppery is also one
of subtle seasonings.
Hummous: a name heard all over the Mahgrib and many other places as
well. It is a general name referring either to whole chickpeas or
garbanzos, or to a puree of these legumes. The latter is usually blended
with both garlic and pepper.
Hut Makali: crispy fried fish. Popular street snack found almost
everywhere but especially in coastal areas.
Kaaki: Tunisian breadsticks prepared in many shapes and sold by
street vendors. These are nibbled anytime and especially enjoyed by
children.
Kebab: small morsels threaded on
skewers and broiled usually over charcoal. The French call them
Brochettes, the Spanish Pinchitos, but all around the
Mediterranean they are called Kebab.
Kefta: the Moroccan version of ground meat used in large or small
meatballs with the mixture usually sweetened and spiced with cinnamon.
Khboz or Kisra: typical Moroccan bread made from wholewheat flour
and unbleached white flour (all white flour for guests), yeast, milk, or
water and seasoned with anise, sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Baked fresh daily, usually in communal ovens.
Kousha: a Tunisian stew of potatoes, tomatoes, chickpeas, and any
variety of fish. May be garnished with prawns or shrimp.
Leben or Lobon: similar to buttermilk, used as a cooling beverage
or in cookery.
Mahalkra: like biting into crisp honey, these saffron-tinted yeast
pretzels are shaped then browned in hot oil and plunged into boiling honey
They are served with a sprinkle of sesame seeds (cool), adding a mouthful
of sweetness to the sundown meal of Ramadan.
Mechoui: Moroccan specialty of spit-roasted whole lamb or sheep
generously rubbed with ground coriander seeds and garlic cloves. It is
eaten with the fingers while piping hot. Tidbits are dipped into a salt
and cumin mixture. Moroccan bread is the accompaniment.
Mechouiya: a thick puree of tomatoes and peppers garnished with
chunks of hard eggs and tuna. It is not to be confused with the succulent
lamb mentioned above (Mechoui); this is a Tunisian appetizer salad
resembling a very thick Spanish gazpacho.
Meshmel or Djej Emshmel: classic diffa (banquet) specialty:
A Tagine of chicken, green olives, and preserved Moroccan lemons (Doqq).
M'Hanncha: a pastry that uses the thin Warka pastry, stuffed with a
rich sweet mixture of sugared chopped nuts and tingling spices, then
rolled up, coiled like a snake and baked crisply This pastry is seared in
slices with cups of traditional sweet green mint tea as a snack.
Mikla: when the Moroccan bread dough is patted into flat rounds and
baked to a brown crustiness on both sides on an open-lire griddle, the
resulting bread is called Mikla.
Pita: Mahgrib and Middle Eastern bread, sometimes called Arabic
bread. Rounds of simple yeast dough are rolled thinly, allowed to rise,
then baked quickly in a hot oven. The resulting breads puff up high then
slowly deflate upon cooling. The result is a thin tasty bun that is hollow
in the center. Makes a convenient pocket for fillings.
Qodban: Mahgrib tidbits of lamb entrails first marinated then
skewered and charcoal-broiled.
Raipe: a bland sweetened dessert resembling yogurt or junket but
the whole or skimmed milk is set with the addition of the pounded dried
pulp of wild Moroccan artichokes.
Ras el Hanout: a varying blend of spices used in meat and game
dishes, stuffing, and even candies. Sometimes mystical properties are
attributed to Ras el Hanout, which may be a blend of a few or over a
hundred ingredients said to contain legendary aphrodisiacs.
Rghaif: Moroccan version of thin dessert pancakes or crepes. Served
in many variations: greased, stretched, folded and deep-fried or layered
and served with melted butter and honey Sometimes a special breakfast
dish.
Sefirna: the classic Moroccan Jewish Sabbath dish of legumes and
meats nestled with whole eggs in the shell. The whole casserole is placed
in banked ovens late Friday afternoon, then eaten as the Sabbath noon meal
without violating the prohibition of work. Versions of this dish abound.
It is said to have been taken by the North African Jews to Spain during
the Moorish conquest where the Spanish version came to be known as Olla
Podrida (literally, "rotten pot") because ingredients were always
added to the leftovers and reheated and eaten over and over. In central
European countries this practical and satisfying dish came to be known as
Cholent and often included potato chunks, and/or a large flour
dumpling.
Shebbakia: luscious honey pastry, the same as Mahalkra but
shaped into stars.
Smen: clarified butter. But the Moroccan version is more than
clarified: it is often salted, spiced, or herbed and frequently has been
preserved in underground crocks until it has the appearance and odor of
very old cheese. Small amounts may be added to soups or Couscous. Most
appreciated by Moroccans.
Souk: outdoor markets.
Tagella: bread eaten by the Tuaregs (a Berber group), made
from a simple dough and baked in open fires on hot stones.
Tagine: meal cooked in one pot, the bottom of the pot being a
rimmed shallow circle fitted with a classic cone-shaped cover. If the
ingredients require, the Tagine can be cooked over a heat source or banked
with hot coals to give the food a baked-in-the-oven effect. The
ingredients may vary but usually include a spiced mixture of vegetables,
legumes, meats, with almost as many regional and personal variations as
the Couscous.
Tedouira: a floury mixture used for thickening sauces and soups. In
Marrakesh, the classic Tedouira is left overnight to ferment and develop a
sour flavor.
Warka: thinner even that the Greek
phyllo pastry, the Warka is made from flour and water and most closely
resembles the technique for making Chinese spring roll skins. The dough
mixture is dabbed or rubbed over a flat or domed heated utensil, forming a
sheer "skin" of pastry that is gently lifted off as soon as it firms. To
keep it workable, it may be gently washed with oil or melted butter.
Layered together, the final effect is similar to the French puff pastry.
Za'atar: a herb of sweet aromatic scent, similar to the
theme-oregano family.
Zebda: fresh butter.
Zematur: a thin breakfast porridge or gruel made from toasted wheat
germ and the honey-almond butter called Amalou.