Dining in Morocco

Morocco is a country of diverse landscape, people, and history, which creates a unique local food palette for its inhabitants. Because Morocco borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, fishing is an integral peice of their economy and is therefore incorporated into the daily diets of Moroccans. Sardines, swordfish, sole, and sea bass are examples of fish found in local waters, and as they rely on them for heavily for export to bring in revenue for the country they also rely on them to feed their costal populations. Sardines especially are a Moroccan staple as they are found to be abundant in numbers on the coast, and they can be prepared in many ways such as canned and on toast or raw and on homemade bread. Vast farm lands exist in north western Morocco, home to different livestock and luscious farms of berries, avocados, cereals, and potatoes, and the country similarly relies heavily on this sandy soil to produce crops for export and to sustain their growing population. Many traditional Moroccan dishes incorporate local products because they have grown well in their soil for centuries, such as dishes with couscous and dates. The mejhoul date palm tree originated in North Africa over 6000 years ago, and ever since then they have become an indispensable part of the Moroccan diet that locals take great pride in. They are often put in beef or chicken tagine, a Moroccan staple dish, and other sweet treats popular among locals. 

In present day Morocco, the local fishermen and large fishing companies alike currently battle a devastating loss as the Mediterranean Sea becomes more barren by the day. Fishermen have taken the bounties of the Mediterranean for centuries, and due to the great overfishing endemic of the last 200 years, the famous waters are now struggling to produce enough to sustain the growing demand. Coupled with global warming causing ocean temperatures to rise and bleach coral reefs, these issues cause a shortage of fish and a raise in price of these fish. Therefore, locals are finding it more difficult to maintain their diets that have been sustained by fish since the beginning of their settlement there. 

During my time in Morocco, I have found that their cultural preferences with food are delightful and unique. Because I’ve only ever had canned sardines (never fresh), I assumed I didn’t like them until I had them on this trip. Paired with homemade bread, local olive oil, salt, and pepper, raw sardines surprised me with their salty and fishy flavor that Moroccan have enjoyed for years. I have also found myself eating dates in various forms, such as in my beef tagine and on their own with simple crushed local peanuts on top.

Source:

https://www.medjoolstar.com/en/the-mejhoul-date