Maghreb cuisine

Tunisian Brik with an egg, tuna, onion and parsley

Méchoui is a North African dish that consists of a whole sheep or a lamb spit-roasted on a barbecue

The Maghreb, the northernmost part of Africa along the Mediterranean Sea^[1] is composed of the countries of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. The region has a high degree of geographic, political, social, economic and cultural diversity which influences the region's cuisine and the culinary style.

Common foods and dishes[edit]

In North African cuisine, the most common staple foods are fish, seafood, goat,^[2] lamb,^[2] beef,^[2] dates, almonds, olives and various vegetables and fruits. 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,^[3] especially with cumin,^[4] ginger, paprika, cinnamon^[4] and saffron. Fresh peppermint, parsley, or coriander are also very common. Spice mixtures such as ras el hanout, baharat, and chilli pastes like harissa (especially in Tunisia) are frequently used. The use of Legumes, nuts, fruits and spices is very prominent.^[2]

The best-known North African/Berber dish abroad is surely Couscous.^[3] 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" in Tunisia is a baked frittata/quiche-like dish, whereas in Morocco it is dish is a slow-cooked stew .

Maghreb cuisine[edit]

The Maghreb Union Countries

Moroccan couscous with vegetables and raisins

The cuisine of the Maghreb, the western region of North Africa that includes the five countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania, is primarily a Berber cuisine (and punic/phoenician for Tunisia) with some Mediterranean influences. The eastern part of North Africa (Libya and Egypt) is heavily influenced by the Ottoman Empire, sharing characteristics and similar dishes with much of Ottoman. The cuisines of Algeria and Tunisia deriving more influence from French and Italian cuisine respectively and with roots for Tunisia, While Moroccan cuisine for the most part remained outside of 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.

Cuisine similarities[edit]

Most of the North African countries have several similar dishes, sometimes almost the same dish with a different name (the Tunisian coucha and the Moroccan tangia are both essentially the same dish: a meat stew prepared in an urn and cooked overnight in a public oven), sometimes with a slight change in ingredients and cooking style. Additionally, two entirely different dishes may share the same name. There are noticeable differences between the cooking styles of different regions – there are spicy dishes and sophisticated pastries typical of Tunisian cuisine, full-bodied dishes prepared in Moroccan palace cookery, and simpler dishes prepared in various regions and countries.