Recently, we found ourselves seated on the colorful carpet of a quaint living room in Erfoud. A small town in southern Morocco, it is also called the “Gateway to the Sahara”. A friend here had invited us to his home to share the Moroccan national dish: Tajine!
Tajines are slow-cooked stews, made in a special pot of the same name. They have been prepared by the Berber people of Northern Africa for centuries and are a staple dish of Morocco and Algeria.
While we have had many Tajines in Morocco and elsewhere, this particular homecooked one was by far our favorite. It featured lamb meat, juicy green and purple olives, lots of onion and garlic, delicious vegetables and a unique spice mix. The cumin taste was actually so strong it felt almost like an Indian curry. A strong citrussy note rounded the flavor to a perfect whole.
Delicious! No wonder our reaction:
