Maghrebi mint tea or Tunisian mint tea is an green tea which is prepared with spearmint leaves and sugar. The best part of this tea is not its flavor but its essence. There are many stories regarding the origin of this tea but the story which is deemed to be true is the one which took place in the 19th century in Morocco. It is of a merchant who was British and he used to sell at those times a tea called the Gunpowder Tea.
Brik is an Tunisian pastry dish which is filled with tuna, vegetables and spices and then it is finally deep fried to give it an incredible crispy look. The main version of this dish which defines its true history is the one with tune and an egg yolk. This dish is said to be over 500 years old and many say that it was the Tunisian region which truly came up with this dish.
Falafel is an all time favorite Egyptian street food. Falafel is also known as Tamiya but they are made with different main ingredients. It is considered to be a travelers delight. The origin of Falafel is said to be in Egypt itself but is considered to be 50/50. It is said that this dish was first made in the 4th century during the time on Lent.
This cuisine is at the very top of the entire African cuisines and is loved by everyone. It is basically a pie like dish which consists of chicken which is cooked firstly with spices and then is added to a batter of egg and cheese and baked in the end. Tajines history goes way back to the 9th century as it was written in a folktale collection book called One Thousand and One Nights. It was made on a wooden pot through which it got its name and went on generation to generation. It is considered to be the national dish of Tunisia , Algeria and Morocco and it lives up to the recognition it gets.
Couscous is an Maghrebi cuisine also known as a North African cuisine. It is a grain product made from semolina which is mixed with different spices and stew. It is a very old dish which goes back centuries. In the Arabic cookbooks of the 14th century there are many mentions of dishes like couscous. There are also many variations of couscous depending on the place where you are eating it.
Shakshouka is an Arabic word which means “mixture”. It is one of the best dishes of all the African cuisines. This dish consists of eggs which are poached in a tomato sauce underneath it. It is not only served as a breakfast rather it is also served as lunch and dinner. It is said that this dish came into existence in the regions of Tunisia and Yemen. After people living in the North of Africa migrated to Israel, this dish became Israel’s national dish.
Harira soup is one of the best soups in the North African region. It has a silky texture which is why it is called Harira because when translated it means “silk”. It is a very popular soup for the winter season and mostly it is used in the month of Ramadan. The people from Morocco believe that the Harira is from the Fez. There are many variations for this soup.
Chorba or Shorba is an Arabic word which means soup or stew. It is a soup which is made by adding chicken to a base of tomatoes, onions, ginger and many other spices. It is said during the Ottoman Empire period this dish was invented by the people. It is also said that during the winter days a family which was very poor made this soup to keep them warm and also to keep their children warm.
Knafeh is an traditional Middle Eastern dessert and an delight of Egypt. It is one of the best desserts which you can eat in Egypt and also it is very popular in Levant. In other countries this dish is the same but its name is different. Like in Greece it is called kataifi and in Turkey it is called kadayif. It is said that in Fatimid Egypt the doctors prescribed this dish to Caliphates to satisfy their hunger during Ramadan. It was not until the 13th century something quite like this dish appeared as in the book Kitab al tabikh fi-l-Maghrib a dish like kunafa appeared.
Baklava is one of the most popular desserts ever made in this world. It is basically pastry which is made by adding nuts, pistachios over the filo sheets which is then baked in the oven. This dessert goes way back to the times of the Ottoman Empire. There is a dish in the Turkish cuisine which resembles quite a lot with the Baklava and some say that it is the origin of Baklava. There are many countries which have their own versions of Baklava.
