Blog Archive

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Part II: The Spices of Morocco--the Blends



Part II:  The Spices of Morocco--the Blends

Each cook has her favorite spice merchant where she knows she will glean the freshest products.  Each cook knows how much of each spice she wants for a particular dish.  A little more ginger, a token amount of turmeric, a wee touch of coriander, a big scoop of cumin, a modicum of paprika. Yes, she knows how to weave her particular magic and the merchants know how to weave theirs in their enticing displays.  These lovely piles of spices are simply called "Epices Pour Tagine," or Spices for Tagines, those luscious stews favored all over Morocco.

These photos were taken last May when I led my sixth small group on a journey throughout Morocco.  Want to know more?  Just contact me for the 2012 itinerary.







The cook may want to choose her own mixtures, but when it comes to that special blend of 35 spices or more, Ras El Hanout, she can simply ask her merchant for his "Top of the Shop" blend.

Like what you see?  Come and join me in Morocco in 2012.  Contact me for more information.

©Victoria Challancin. All Rights Reserved.

2 comments:

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

I've never seen anything like those spice piles before but they look absolutely incredible! Thank you for sharing those with us Victoria! :D

tori said...

I have such fond memories of our trip to the spice markets in Marrakech- and I've had such a lovely time reading through your archive with a cup of tea- thank you for the escapism!