Mediterranean (noun) - the land surrounding the Mediterranean Sea including the southern part of Europe and the northern part of Africa.

Mastication (verb) - to chew; biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow.

Join me on this culinary adventure as I endeavour to chronicle my gorging habits whilst making my way along the Mediterranean encompassing Morocco, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece & Turkey, with a pit stop at Oktoberfest in Munich on the way home for good measure!

I am going to attempt to visit the local markets, eat the regional specialties and even try to recreate some of the culinary delights within various hostel kitchens across southern Europe.

So sit back & enjoy whilst I try and whet your appetite from the other side of the world!



Friday, July 2, 2010

Miscellaneous Moroccan mastication moments

After just over a fortnight circumnavigating Morocco in a clockwise direction the following truths have become obvious in regards to their cuisine. Let me impart this wisdom as I leave Africa and head for Europe.

1. Presentation is EVERYTHING.
Whether it be on your plate or in the mazes of food souks, if you have one pastry, olive, piece of carrot out of place chances are you might lose a sale to the vendor/restaurateur next door who’s culinary goods are lined up a bit straighter than yours. The attention to detail with food presentation is incredible and a bit bizarre considering how disorganised so many other areas of Moroccan society is.

Pastries & olives in Meknes medina

Mixed salad with flair!

One of the many food stalls at the Djemaa el Fna markets in Marrakech

Honeydew and orange slices dusted with cinnamon - mmmm - try it!

2. Sometimes the simplest of meals are the most delicious.


Traditional Berber breakfast - flatbread and home made 1st press (extra virgin) olive oil - incredibly flavoursome oil. Courtesy of Khalid's mum in Todra Gorge.

Roasted chickpea snack, lightly salted and sprinkled with cumin - from a street stall in Essoauira.

Berber omelette – just onion, tomato & egg, cooked in a tagine (of course).

3. All living creatures are fair game.
And don’t let any piece of them go to waste.

Snail harvesting in the Fes medina.

And then used in a stew in Marrakech's Djemaa el Fna.

Eels in Essoauira.

Pigeons, rabbits and yes that is a hedgehog in the Meknes medina.


Goat's head stew. Before and after. No comment.

4. Every meal should include a large portion of BREAD.

I mean really, its a taste sensation.

5. Don’t pick lollipops


Goes without saying really.

6. If all else fails, whack a huge lump of sugar in it

Who needs sugar cubes when huge lumps are available?

Avocado milkshake!
Moroccans view the humble avocado for what it actually is – a fruit – and therefore decline to place it in salads/savoury items. However when combined with milk and sugar (++) it is surprisingly a tasty milkshake combination.

7. Too much shisha can turn you into a loony.


So beslama (goodbye) Maroc, my insulin levels need normalizing. However I will miss the OJ, couscous & tagines. A month in Spain is next on the cards… get excited amigos!
- CW
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1 comment:

  1. Jane ZagorskiJuly 6, 2010 at 3:49 PM

    Hi Courtney I appear to be one of the technologically challenged....this is my second attempt at a comment so if you get two you'll understand. Am really enjoying the blog -it's the next best thing to being there,especially when Morocco is still on the 'to go' list as it is for us. Loved seeing all those art works aka market stalls. Cheers Jane Zag

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