Cumin, ginger, cinnamon, saffron – poetic spices that not only give flavor to food, but tell a story. Spices are travelers themselves, having crossed deserts and sailed on ships, they were coveted, used for trade and medicine. They tamed wild meats and aided digestion. Salt was as good as money. Spices have been a valuable flavorful currency worth their weight in gold as a precious influence on cultural identity.
Morocco, located only 8 kilometers from Spain to the north and the Sahara to the south, has had the advantage of the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the desert connection to the whole of Africa and the indigenous Berbers from the Atlas mountains, running like a spine down the country’s back. It has a rich mix of aesthetic and exotic influence from the Ottoman Empire to the French who ruled for 50 yearsuntil 1956.
With a climate not unlike California, Morocco teems with character, ambiance and atmosphere. It’s deep and devotional, and as one friend put it, “In Morocco, we don’t think only of ourselves, we think of others”. This is the binding factor that makes Morocco so hospitable. It comes naturally to them. The family is the core and food is the vehicle in which they show their love. And… they eat well. A diet rich in meat, vegetables, fruits and nuts, sometimes cooked together. When spices are added, they marry beautifully like people who were destined to meet.
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