Common Foods and Dishes
In North African cuisine, the most common staple foods are meat, seafood, goat, lamb, beef, dates, almonds, olives, various vegetables and fruit. Because the region is predominantly Muslim, halal meats are usually eaten. Halal meats are derived from animals that are slaughtered according to Sharia, Islamic law. Most dishes are spiced, especially with cumin, ginger, paprika, cinnamon and saffron. Fresh peppermint, parsley, or coriander are also very common. Spice mixtures such as ras el hanout, baharat, and harissa are frequently used. The use of Legumes, nuts, fruits and spices is very prominent.
The best-known North African/Berber dish abroad is surely Couscous. Pastilla and The Tajine, a cooking vessel of Berber/Amazigh origin, is also a common denominator in this region, although what each nation defines as the resulting dish from being cooked in a tajine as well as the associated preparation methods, may be drastically different. For example, a "tajine" dish is a slow-cooked stew in Morocco, whereas the Tunisian "tajine" is a baked frittata/quiche-like dish.
Read more about this topic: North African Cuisine
Famous quotes containing the words common, foods and/or dishes:
“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”
—Bible: New Testament St. Paul, in 1 Timothy, 6:7.
The words also appear in the Book of Common Prayer, “Burial of the Dead.”
“There are many of us who cannot but feel dismal about the future of various cultures. Often it is hard not to agree that we are becoming culinary nitwits, dependent upon fast foods and mass kitchens and megavitamins for our basically rotten nourishment.”
—M.F.K. Fisher (1908–1992)
“When I develop my recipes I always look for ways to create what I call the Big Taste. While I enjoy eating simple grilled foods, what interests me when I cook are dishes with a taste that is fully dimensional.”
—Paula Wolfert, U.S. cookbook writer. Paula Wolfert’s World of Food, Introduction, Harper and Row (1988)