North African Cuisine - Maghreb Cuisine

Maghreb Cuisine

The cuisine of the Maghreb, the western region of North Africa that includes the six countries of Morocco, Western Sahara, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania, is primarily a Berber and culinary traditions, with some European, Arab and Mediterranean influences. The eastern part of North Africa (Libya and Egypt) is heavily influenced by the Ottoman empire and its Turkish culture, sharing characteristics and similar dishes with much of Turkish and Peninsular Arab cuisine. The cuisines of Algeria and Tunisia are less thoroughly influenced by these Eastern elements, deriving more influence from French and Italian cuisine respectively. While Moroccan cuisine for the most part remained outside of these relatively recent and contemporary influences, although Moroccan cuisine itself have roots dating back to the heyday of the kingdom of Numidia modern-day Algeria and kingdom of Mauretania modern-day Morocco.