FOODS OF THE MOROCCANS

FOODS OF THE MOROCCANS

Morocco, unlike most other African countries, produces all the food it needs to feed its people. Its many home-grown fruits and vegetables include oranges, melons, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, and potatoes. Five more native products that are especially important in Moroccan cooking are lemons, olives, figs, dates, and almonds. Located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the country is rich in fish and seafood. Beef is not plentiful, so meals are usually built around lamb or poultry.

Flat, round Moroccan bread is eaten at every meal. The Moroccan national dish is the tajine, a lamb or poultry stew. Other common ingredients may include almonds, hard-boiled eggs, prunes, lemons, tomatoes, and other vegetables. The tajine, like other Moroccan dishes, is known for its distinctive flavoring, which comes from spices including saffron, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, and ground red pepper. The tajine's name is taken from the distinctive earthenware dish with a cone-shaped top in which it is cooked and served. Another Moroccan dietary staple is couscous, made from fine grains of a wheat product called semolina. It is served many different ways, with vegetables, meat, or seafood.

Sweets play a very important role in the Moroccan diet. Every household has a supply of homemade sweet desserts made from almonds, honey, and other ingredients. Mint tea is served with every meal in Morocco. It is sweetened while it is still in the pot.

Chicken Tajine with Almonds and Prunes

Ingredients

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
½ teaspoon powdered saffron (optional)
3 short cinnamon sticks
4 ounces butter
2 large onions
½ cup sugar
1 strip lemon peel
1 pound dried prunes
Blanched almonds
Fresh watercress or mint
Procedure

Combine the oil and ground spices in a large bowl.
Cut the chicken into cubes and chop the onion finely. Put the chicken and onion into the bowl with the oil and spices. Combine well and let stand for 30 minutes.
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the chicken, searing (browning) them lightly on all sides.
Add any remaining marinade and enough water to cover. Simmer until chicken is tender (about 30 minutes).
While the chicken is cooking, put the prunes in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring the water to a bowl. Remove the pan from the heat and let them stand for 20 minutes.
Drain the prunes, return them to the pan, and ladle a little liquid from the meat pan over the prunes. Simmer the prunes for 5 minutes.
Add the lemon peel, cinnamon sticks, and half the sugar to the prunes.
Stir the remaining sugar into the meat.
Arrange the meat on a serving platter. Add the prunes to the meat, and pour the sauce from the prunes over the meat and prunes.
Boil the remaining liquid from the meat rapidly to reduce it by half and pour over the meat and prunes.
Melt a small amount of butter in a saucepan and brown the almonds lightly. Garnish the tajine with the almonds and watercress or mint.
Serve with rice or couscous.


Read more: Food in Morocco - Moroccan Food, Moroccan Cuisine - popular, dishes, recipe, diet, history, common, meals, staple, rice, famous, main, people, favorite, make, customs, fruits, country, bread, vegetables, bread

HISTORY AND FOOD

HISTORY AND FOOD

Nomads called Berbers were the first inhabitants of Morocco over two thousand years ago. They used local ingredients, such as olives, figs, and dates, to prepare lamb and poultry stews. Over time, traders and conquering nations introduced new food customs. Among them were the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans. However, the strongest influence on native cooking was the Arab invasion in the seventh century A.D.

The Arabs brought with them new breads and other foods made from grains. They


introduced spices including cinnamon, ginger, saffron, cumin, and caraway. They also introduced sweet-and-sour cooking, which they had learned from the Persians. Moors from Andalusia in southern Spain also influenced Moroccan cooking. The pastilla, or bisteeya, a popular pigeon pie in Morocco, was originally a Moorish dish. In modern times, the French and the British made contributions to Moroccan cuisine.

Read more: Food in Morocco - Moroccan Food, Moroccan Cuisine - popular, dishes, recipe, diet, history, common, meals, staple, rice, famous, main, people, favorite, make, customs, fruits, country, bread, vegetables, bread

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING AND ENVIRONMENT

Morocco is located in the northwestern corner of Africa. Morocco is slightly larger in area than California, and its territory has three different regions. The northern coast along the Mediterranean Sea is made up of fertile land that rises to elevations of about 8,000 feet (2,400 meters). The Atlas Mountains run between the Atlantic coast in the southwest to the Mediterranean Sea in the northeast. Finally, the semiarid area in the south and east known as the Western Sahara connects Morocco with the vast African Sahara Desert.

Morocco faces a problem with desertification. Desertification is the process where fertile land becomes barren and desert-like. Desertification may be caused by forces of nature, such as lack of rainfall or drought. Humans contribute to desertification when they clear away all the trees or allow their livestock to graze too much so that they eat away all plants. These practices leave no plants to hold the soil in place, so wind and rain can carry away the fertile topsoil. Morocco also has a problem with water pollution from oil spills, poor sewage treatment practices, and the use of strong pesticides.

In the northwest, agriculture in Morocco thrives. Except in years when there is severe drought, Moroccan farmers are able to supply the country with enough food.



Read more: Food in Morocco - Moroccan Food, Moroccan Cuisine - popular, dishes, recipe, diet, history, common, meals, staple, rice, famous, main, people, favorite, make, customs, fruits, country, bread, vegetables, bread

morocco moll ..mall

You've waited, you've dreamed of, fantasized over you, I'm not talking about the Morocco Mall, I speak of course of the Post & Clothing Meringues about the Morocco Mall.

It's been 5 years since 50 Bonobos, 500 bonnasses, 10 Good to trifles, and 5000 Snowmen bossent Project superlatifié most of Morocco since the Green March.
After the pedestrian street of Prince Moulay Abdellah inaugurated with great pomp by Ibn Battuta in the year 2 AD Cris Oscourt, after the cornice McDonalds opened in 1989 by Ronald Reagan dressed as Clown and after the Hassan II mosque inaugurated in Umm Kelthoum 1992 ... We are witnessing the beginning of this week, at the opening of Morocco Mall opened with great pomp by Jennifer Labaise, famous American star known to have the biggest ass that showcase the famous Galeries Lafayette.
One evening as the atmosphere relaxed and friendly a drink at Vladimir Putin. Modesty and delicacy were set, we have counted as 1860 pairs of Louboutin, Jimmy Choo for 1239. This evening, it was 95% of the national Botox together in one place, the 500 richest people in Morocco, and probably the 500 most beautiful pair of breasts redone Anfa sup gathered in one place.
You will understand, HC was not the game, by cons, it has been deployed all of its staff during the weekend for what is likely undoubtedly take ALL your Sunday strips Mallrats indebted .
The head of the statistics department Clothing and Meringues just give us the numbers of the first weekend:
 Hello 560,000 at the entrance of shops.
213 450 errors in the Food court orders.
12300 "It ginial there, there's Louai Vouitoune"
4879: "Here troooooo Oakam there's Starbucks."
567,810 photos taken in front of the aquarium
For you, Clothing and Meringues also collected some testimonials on site.
"We are pleased that Dior is in the mall, but I'll buy a belt from H & M. "Younes visitor lucid.
"It's wonderful Starbucks is top, I can finally pay my coffee 65Dhs" Karima, bourgeois assumed.
"This is bigger than the Megamall in Rabat," Hicham comparison Mall.
"It is 43 000Dh" Karine, saleswoman at Fendi.
"This is 18Dh" Ikram, a cashier at McDonalds.
"Not yet," Rachid, cashier at the Imax.
"Finally, a corner for culture .... you have the latest Shakira? "Zineb, future Minister of Culture visits FNAC.
"It's still sad to see all these bourgeois spend their thunes so naive as to when there are 200 slums near the Mall" Malika, depression with suicidal tendencies.

Here, conclusion Clothing & Meringues is pleased that the Morocco Mall has finally opened ... HC will last or park at Maârif.

This article is sponsored by: H & M, FNAC, DIOR & The Hassan II Mosque.
PS: PJD, PJD, PJD, PJD .... it has nothing to do with the post, but every time I mention the name of the party, I blog statistics exploding

days in Morocco

Original land in adventure travel, the more things change the more they stay the same




Perfect week: Action Plans for trips of your life

Instead of spending this past New Year's Eve jammed elbow to elbow with a crowd of revelers sloshed, Condo Jim and his wife, Diane Silver, two lawyers in Phoenix, opted for something more spacious, the Sahara.

"We were sitting under a beautiful starry sky, listening to music Berber miles and miles from civilization," says Condo. "It was one of those life experiences you just never forget."

During their journey through Morocco in a Mountain Travel Sobek trip, Condo discovered twin lures of this rugged landscape, "the physical challenge of the hinterland and the incredible diversity of the culture."

Only eight miles (thirteen kilometers) from continental Europe, the Kingdom of Morocco is a world away. An outpost for intrepid wanderers long before it caught on with globetrotters 1960, this slice of North Africa is one of the world's adventure destinations original and remains a paragon of exoticism.

Life here is attuned to the rhythms of ancient Islamic culture, which can be confusing for Westerners around the world. But tourism is the fastest growing industry in Morocco, and the government keeps a watchful eye: It is unlawful for any person to offer guide services unless it is authorized by the State, and Ministry of Tourism police repress hard on pushy salespeople (if you will never boast free in a place where haggling is the national pastime).

Morocco, which is roughly the size of California, a rail system through all the cities of renown, and about $ 30 a night tour on the Marrakech Express Tangier is a serious matter. Communal taxis roam the countryside and the major car rental agencies have operations in major cities. Conduct, however, may be something of a challenge to both mule-carts are everywhere, lights are rare, and mopeds use the family car. However, the roads are surprisingly good, and one trip, you can explore the time warped cities, roam the high mountain trails, windsurfing coast, and walk through the most famous desert in the world .

A big draw on its own, Marrakech is also the dashboard of choice for getaways outback. In his trademark pink walls, casinos and nightclubs coexist with snake charmers and belly dancers. Beyond the walls, climbing routes in the Atlas Mountains, where robust, more than 12,000 feet (3,658 meters-plus) peaks attract climbers, hikers, climbers and in the warmer months and skiing in February to April. Southeast an hour is the gateway Saharan Ouarzazate. And three hours to the west, you can brush up on the coast in the hub Windsurfing in Essaouira.

But the action is not limited to forest edge. Stroll in the souks of Marrakech, or sneak into the winding alleys of the medina (old city) of Fez. With boilermakers, candles, and mules overloaded, it's like a maze V class most of the Middle Ages "hits-a view largely unchanged for centuries.

What Paul Bowles told 1970s, Tangier in Morocco remains true today: ". Has changed less than the rest of the world" Funky, affordable, always unpredictable, the country is a millennium in the space of a single week.


1. DIY
Choose two or three options, and you have a trip.

Souk atmosphere
The soul of Morocco is the medina, or old city, Fez el-Bali and is the ancestor of all. With more than 186 miles (299 km) of track entangled, it is the largest in the Arab world and presents itself as the cultural, intellectual, spiritual, and, no doubt, crafts capital. Slip inside its crenellated walls and giants wander through a maze of souks chaotic, where at every turn blind is a mound of bags of spices or a guy in a hooded djellaba come to you with a goat around his neck. This is as close as it gets to shopping in the year 1376. Forced sale is standard, but for grooving riffs flamingoes itinerant blacksmiths hammer or watch are far haggle without distractions.

Base Camp: The three-star Hotel Batha ($ 50 www.hotelclub.com) has English-speaking staff and a great location close to the inner sanctum of Fez el-Bali.

Trek Dunes
Some points on his rival atlas of the greatest adventure cred sandbox world that spans 3.5 million square miles burned. And you can not call it a trip until you have explored portion of Morocco's Sahara on the back of a camel lurches them. Aptly named "ships of the desert"-in the tracks of ancient trade caravans You have plenty of time to contemplate the infinite horizon while enjoying the 360 ​​degree or gawking at the crowd of stars swirling over night. You can easily book the camel rides from two days to one of the many travel agencies sanctioned by the government to Marrakech. Organize longer expeditions with providers such as Mountain Travel Sobek, which hosts a two-week trip which includes a camel caravan of four days with a 4x4 support vehicle trailing ($ 3,490; www.mtsobek.com / mts / cb).

Base Camp: The German-owned Hotel Kasbah Sahara Gate ($ 25 www.hotel-sahara.com) mode allows you to desert. Overlooking the dunes of choice about 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Zagora, with air conditioning and terrace with views over the Sahara is an ideal platform for camels and four-wheel wander and explore the local kasbahs.

Hiking in the High Atlas
All mountain trail here is sure to go through Berber country. These Moroccan natives were driven into the hills by the Arab invasions centuries ago and have since perfected the art of living vertically in the villages that cling to cliffsides. Hoofers ambitious, you can take the highest peak in North Africa, 13,670 feet (4,167 meters) Jebel Toubkal, for two days without lift. Bring plenty of water and get acclimated: Rugged and remote, this is not the place for altitude sickness. The nearest trail must be in Imlil, south of Marrakech, on the road to Agadir.

Base Camp: Managed by Berber Adventure outfitter Adrar, Spartan Etoile du Toubkal ($ 24; www.morocco Travel-adventure.com), Imlil, has nine rooms, showers, and axes to do. Start your ascent from here and you're bound to pick up another member of the expedition loans or both.

Windsurfing the Casbah
Whip constant northeast trade winds became Essaouira, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) west of Marrakech-windsurfing in the hub of North Africa.
A magnet longtime off-the-grid travelers and local artists, the city became a word-of-mouth favorite for its deserted beaches of the Atlantic, relaxed, world heritage site worthy of architecture. You can rent a windsurf or kitesurf ($ 150 for three days), or take a kiteboarding clinic six hours ($ 206) at Club Mistral and Skyriders Center (www.club-mistral.com). Then dry and roam the ruins of a 18th century palace half buried along the south side of the city inspiration to Jimi Hendrix "Castles Made of Sand."

Base Camp: Founded by a resident of windsurfing Ahmed el Mahboul, comfortable Les Matins Bleus ($ 28 www.les-Matins-bleus.com) is a six-room, two-room hotel in the historic center of Medina Essaouira, in the heart of the action and a block from the beach.


2. Vitals
See Morocco in the right direction.

WHEN TO GO: Morocco can be an oven in summer, particularly in the southern desert, and snow caps the mountains during the winter. The best times to visit are spring and fall. Avoid total desert from June to September.

GETTING AROUND: The safe bet for long trips is the train that hit all the major decisions, Casablanca, Tangier, Fez and Marrakech on the way. From there, rental cars or buses can get you in the mountains, deserts, or the coast.

WHAT TO BRING: In this colony French former, a French phrase book will accelerate your movements. To keep dirt and grit Saharan Atlas remote wipes and eye drops are worth more than their weight in dirhams.


3. Go Guided
Choose a trip that suits you best, and let the pros do the rest.

THE SPREE MULTISPORT: Drop sands broil for moving fast and Morocco has great whitewater action in the High Atlas. Local outfitter Adrar Aventure will paddle the river N'Fis animated on a leg of a nine-day getaway ($ 3,500; www.morocco Travel-adventure.com) which includes climbing the rocks of the Atlas, hiking in remote Berber villages, and the camel-trekking in the country instead of surfing the Prime Minister, Anchor Point, on the coast north of Agadir.

The FAMILY AFFAIR: On this trip six days Backroads (3998 $ www.backroads.com), you and the brood (aged nine and above is recommended) kick things off with snake charmers and holidays tagine in Marrakech , switch to pedal power in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains (photo above), and share the Berber hospitality, break bread with the locals on glasses of mint tea piping hot. The trip includes biking and camel riding on the beach in Essaouira.

PLATE SAMPLER: 15 days of holiday travel Wilderness ($ 3.995; www.wildernesstravel.com), you can walk the slabs of rock twisted gorges of Dades between oases and kasbahs mint, climb the mountain of sand Erg Chebbi (one of the highest dunes in Morocco), hiking in the Atlas, and the caravan in the desert. The hike is also part of a trip to Essaouira, medina, more chaos in Fes and Marrakech.

Daylight Saving in Morocco 2012

Daylight Saving in Morocco 2012

Once again Morocco will have an unusual daylight saving schedule. The problem has always been that some people have objected to having the time change during Ramadan.  Critics say this makes no logical sense, but is at a religious sensibility.

There will be a lot of time changing in Morocco this year

With Ramadan moving earlier each year, it is an ongoing problem and this year a new solution has been found. Morocco will set its clocks one hour ahead from the end of April to the end of September - except during the holy month of Ramadan. Daylight saving will resume after Ramadan. This has been decided by the Government’s Council.

The history of daylight saving has been a mixed one that started in 2008. Morocco decided to trial daylight saving time when it moved the clock one hour forward (UTC+1) at midnight between May 31 and June 1 . The daylight saving schedule was supposed to end September 28th that year. However, the many individuals and business groups were surprised when a decision was suddenly made to end the daylight saving date nearly a month ahead of schedule. The decision also played havoc with international airline schedules. (See our 2008 story here) Hopefully this year will see the time changes running smoothly, though how airline schedules will deal with the on-again then off-again for Ramadan  (probable dates are July 21 to August 19 ) and then on-again... is anyone's guess. A draft decree, adopted by the Government’s Council stipulates that the standard time will be resumed at 3 am on the last Sunday in September,. Speaking in this regard, Minister in charge of Civil Service and the Administration Modernisation said that that daylight saving changes will boost Morocco’s economic competitiveness through reducing energy consumption and facilitating transactions with foreign partners. This timing, he said, would enable Morocco to save 140 megawatts at peak time, which in turn will have a positive impact on the environment and on the investments of Morocco’s electricity utilities. SHARE THIS!

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Housing the Poor - the impact on Moroccan Property

Morocco’s housing deficit stood at roughly 608,000 units in 2011, with a significant shortfall in terms of the availability of government-sponsored accommodation, exacerbated in part by the Kingdom’s move to eliminate shantytowns and shift residents into proper housing.

Moving families out of the slums is a priority

The VSB programme has been most successful so far in the Oriental Region, located in north-eastern Morocco, where 83% of the targeted households have been demolished and families relocated. The Al Omrane-Oujda group, a real estate company placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Housing, has been one of the main players in the region in helping eradicate slums.

 Also among the company’s main projects is that of the urban zone planned for the town of Al Aroui where 210 ha will be dedicated to housing. Some 36,000 housing units will be built in the area for about 180,000 inhabitants. Relocating families into the refurbished apartments planned by the government has been made possible thanks to a number of financing mechanisms. Fogarim, which has provided government-backed mortgages to people with low incomes since 2003, has enabled 81,000 people to obtain their own home. 

Among these, 15,200 households that have been relocated under the VSB scheme have benefitted from the Fogarim scheme. At the end of 2011, the credit distributed to these families accounted for around 11%, or Dh1.22bn (€109.3m), of total issued Fogarim credit.

  However, the Fogarim programme currently faces a major challenge as a number of payment defaults have been reported in towns such as Oujda, Azrou and Rabat, where some households have failed to pay off their monthly instalments of around Dh1500 (€134). Authorities have asked banks for more time before taking judicial action again the loanholders, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance has put in place a new loan, the Fogarim-VSB, that specifically targets this segment of the population and lowers their monthly payments to Dh1000 (€90).

  Morocco’s residential sector will continue to expand as the government pursues its objective of relocating people to newer, urban housing. Already some 4000 ha of land per year have been reclaimed for urban projects, with some 45% of this used for real estate, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. With the government planning to develop a further 70,000 ha, the sheer volume and scale of the government’s housing schemes should leave plenty of room for growth in real estate. 

  As evidenced by an increased demand for construction materials, including a dramatic 25% rise in cement sales, Morocco’s property sector is continuing to see steady growth thanks in large part to a strong emphasis on social housing – a segment that has consistently run a deficit of supply, thereby promising continued expansion in the years to come, Global Arab Network reports.

  Residential property remains the real estate sector’s main driving force, accounting for around 67% of total sales. In 2011, prices increased by 3.4% compared to 2010 and the number of units sold on the market was up by 13.6%. According to the latest statistics released by Bank Al Maghrib for the last quarter of 2011, the volume of transactions in the residential property sector rose by 22.8%, mainly due to the increase in middle-income and high-end apartment and villa sales. In the last quarter of 2011, villa prices saw a year-on-year (y-o-y) increase of 4.2% and sales rose by 11.3%.

  However, it was apartment sales that lead the sector, accounting for around 61% of total sales. Prices saw a y-o-y increase of 5.2%, while the volume of transactions rose by 25.7%. The majority of real estate activity comes from further along the socioeconomic spectrum, at the affordable housing end, which accounts for more than two-thirds of total residential demand.

Our work in Morocco

Our work in Morocco

The British Embassy in Rabat has for many years supported Morocco's ongoing process of democratisation, modernisation and improvements in good governance and human rights. This commitment is constantly being strengthened in partnership with Moroccan government and civil society by setting up programmes covering a wide range of areas that will together provide firm foundations for future reform and development.

Each of the projects makes use of British expertise in close co-operation with local and international experts. Moroccan partners play an important role, providing leadership, advice and often joint financing. The projects have established British co-operation with many sectors of Moroccan society including judges, lawyers, journalists, academics, civil servants, civil society activists, environmentalists and rural populations.