Cinnamon: The first thing you might think of is its use in sweets and desserts.

This is the case

with orange salad, for example. But it is also used in typical Moroccan dishes, such as the
famous chicken tajine.

Nutmeg: a common accompaniment to cinnamon, usually added at the last minute.

Saffron: the most expensive and prized spice, mainly because it has to be harvested by hand. It
is often used to season vegetables and rice.

Ginger: is one of the best companions for saffron, with which it is often mixed. It has the power
to mask strong aromas or flavours, limiting their prominence in the dish.

Turmeric: also called caraway, it is often used as a substitute for saffron because it is cheaper
and has similar qualities.

Cumin: Although it is most commonly used in meat dishes, it is also widely used in vegetable
dishes. One of its great benefits is that it aids digestion.

Ras el Hanout is a mixture of spices. It should be remembered that spices are very important in
Arabic cuisine in general and Moroccan cuisine in particular. The list of examples that can be
mentioned is really long, especially: sweet and spicy paprika, turmeric, black pepper, ginger,
cumin, nutmeg, saffron, etc. We mentioned them all in this other post on Moroccan spices.

Well: Ras el Hanout is a mixture of spices in which more than 30 or 40 different types of spices
may be present, in order to obtain a unique result in each case. In fact, the most traditional
families and restaurants make their own Ras el Hanout with a recipe that remains top secret in
order to achieve a distinctive touch from the rest.

THE GASTRONOMY OF MOROCCO: BETWEEN SPICES, CITRUS FRUITS AND LAMB

Fruit and vegetables also play an important role in Moroccan cuisine: aubergines, tomatoes,
lettuce, onions and olives are classics of the Mediterranean diet that have left their mark on
the country's cuisine. Other more 'exotic' dishes include dried fruits and nuts, such as dates
and argan nuts.

As far as meat is concerned, everything is largely determined by Islamic rules on halal food. In
other words, pork and birds with claws are forbidden, and all animals used for food must have
undergone a very specific slaughter ritual, the most important of which is that they must have
been slaughtered facing Mecca. This means that the main meats are lamb and poultry such as
chicken and fowl. Veal is allowed, although it is present in smaller quantities than the
aforementioned meats. Eggs are also a popular ingredient in Moroccan cuisine.

Fish and seafood are also easy to find in traditional Moroccan cuisine, thanks to the country's
extensive coastline. However, due to the intense heat of the interior and the difficulties of
preserving and transporting them in the past, they are basically confined to coastal areas.
Some of the emblematic species of Moroccan fishing are sardines, horse mackerel and sole.

Cereals also play an important role in Moroccan gastronomy.

This is a typical Moroccan utensil, but it is also used in other Arab countries. It consists of a
deep dish that is placed on the fire to cook the food, and a cone-shaped lid. This allows food to
be cooked with very little water, as the steam released during cooking condenses on the top of
the lid and falls back on the food like rain, preventing it from drying out and concentrating all
its flavour as it cooks in its own juices.