PAULA WOLFERT, the most learned of food writers, argues that the greatest national cuisines depend on four factors—‘an abundance of fine ingredients; a variety and confluence of cultural influences; a great civilisation; and a refined palace life’. France and China immediately spring to mind, Japan, Thailand and India, too. These words are written in perhaps her most magisterial tome, The Food of Morocco. And as she so rightly says, Morocco ‘has been blessed with all four’.
Yet for me, at least, Moroccan food is the most mysterious and most misunderstood of cuisines. Sure, we all know about tagines and harissa, preserved lemons, couscous and that enigmatic blending of the savoury and sweet. But it’s that last mélange that seems to polarise opinion. Take the great bastila of Fes, the sort of intricate, extravagant and magnificent dish devoured by the sultans and pashas of old, their fingers bejewelled, their appetites unsullied by restraint. This is courtly food at its finest: spiced, shredded pigeon, enveloped in a lemon-sharp custard and held in the crisp, paper-thin embrace of warqa, ‘the most prestigious pastry,’ according to Ms Wolfert. On top, flurries of icing sugar, cinnamon and daintily sweetened almonds. Made properly, it’s a multisensory revelation. Done badly, it’s plain wrong.
Denne historien er fra October 23, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra October 23, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
