Egyptian vs Moroccan food & cuisine

Nibbling different snacks and sipping sweet black tea could be called a national habit; coffee is way less popular. In some areas, people rely on super sweet tea as a portion of their caloric intake for workers during the day.

Moroccans usually share food in a communal style while sitting on the floor; however, here, this communal way of eating is not called meze, which is more associated with Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. Food is scooped from a shared bowl using only the right hand, and leftover juices are soaked out with bread. Moroccans usually eat at home; should they eat out, most locals would eat street foods rather than go to restaurants.

In very few Mediterranean countries, corn, or maize, is found so profoundly as in Egypt. Native to the Americas and introduced to North Africa by Portuguese traders, it became important in Egyptian diet before the wheat bread subsidizing program was initiated in the 1950s.  Still, some rural people make their own bread with maize flour.

Short or medium-grain rice is widely consumed, more so than in any other Mediterranean country. Authentic Egyptian rice is tossed with plenty of ghee or butter and mixed with vermicelli noodles and chicken broth. An interesting fact about rice usage in Egypt is that rice is specifically prepared to complement a particular dish. For example, molokhia (veggie soup) is served with plain white rice to balance its rich and garlicky flavor, while sayadeya (a fish dish) is served with yellow turmeric and cumin-spiced rice to enhance the flavors of the fish.

An essential wheat product is warqa pastry, resembling Eastern Mediterranean phyllo, made from leaf-thin dough, stretched out into sheets.

Couscous grains are made from steamed balls of semolina – the hardest part of durum wheat, which resists grinding. Couscous dishes vary: served with lamb, chicken, fish and are accompanied by a medley of vegetables and endless combinations of spices. Usually couscous is eaten on Fridays, the Muslim holy day.

Contrary to other Levantine varieties, ta’ameya, Egyptian falafel, is prepared with fava beans, not chickpeas, which are slightly moister on the inside.

Potatoes were introduced to Egypt relatively recently compared to wheat, beans, and lentils. They’ve become well-integrated into modern cooking, but they complement rather than replace traditional starches. Alongside potatoes, Egyptians consume more starchy roots, such as taro root. Taro is believed to be one of the earliest cultivated plants. After being peeled completely, it is cut into small cubes, cooked in broth with fresh coriander and chard, and served as a side for meat dish.

Egyptian cuisine heavily features vegetables alongside cereals. A common practice of the East Mediterranean and the Middle East is to have them stuffed with spiced rice – mahshi, meaning ‘stuffed’.

Chopped, vinegary fresh salad is a frequent option to balance the richness of other dishes, referred to as salata baladi. Pickles of various vegetables, known as turshi or mekhalel, are served with almost everything. They are super salty, sour, spicy, and have a powerful punch.

Fruit choice is wide, from local Mediterranean natives to tropical ones. Main meals are concluded with fresh fruits and assorted nuts: platters of fresh oranges, figs, dates, and melons, sometimes sprinkled with cinnamon. When fresh fruits are out of season, dried fruits take their place.

Dried dates, apricots, figs, and raisins are the signature of Moroccan cooking. Preserved lemons, or leems, are a crucial condiment to tagines.

The popularity of poultry has grown significantly since the 1990s, largely due to its affordability, and it is now the most consumed meat. Egyptians are also known for consuming less popular birds, such as ducks and pigeons.

Traces of pigeons used for food date back to Pharaonic times. Today, high needle-like structures made of clay, called pigeon houses, mark the horizon of rural villages – these structures are built for the domesticated pigeons.

Morocco stands out for its sophisticated approach to organ meats, particularly met in street food culture. Moroccans have many offal dishes, like couch (grilled liver skewers), boulfaf, where lamb liver is carefully wrapped in caul fat before grilling; tkalia, a complex stew incorporating tripe, lungs, and heart.

One of the most iconic Moroccan dishes, a tagine, refers both to the conical clay cooking vessel and the stew cooked in it. Lamb, beef, or chicken are slow-cooked with a medley of spices, dried fruits, vegetables. The slow cooking process in the tagine’s unique shape allows meat to become exceptionally tender.

Fish are usually cooked whole, rather than the European practice of filleting; they are often bread-coated and grilled or fried, served with rice and vegetables. Fish tagines and stews with tomato sauce, onions, and veggies are also traditional preparations.

Evidence of cheese has been found in tombs dating back 3300 years; historians believe it would have had a moist, spreadable consistency. The most prevailing cheese varieties in Egypt are domiati, karish, mish, and roumi cheeses.

Milk and dairy are not central  – fresh milk is rarely consumed. Leben, a fermented milk drink similar to buttermilk, is preferred. Raib is homemade fresh yogurt, creamy and smooth, enjoyed as a dessert or a snack. While not as central as in some other cuisines, fresh cheese jben arabi is common, served with bread and olives.

A distinctive ingredient of North African cuisine is smen – a salted, fermented butter, similar to ghee and niter kibbeh (Ethiopian clarified butter), but has a characteristically strong, rancid, and cheesy taste and smell. Smen can be fermented for over 20 years, perhaps even more.

The Egyptians are not traditionally known for having a sweet tooth – desserts are more associated with feasts. Egyptian sweets share DNA with Turkish, Lebanese, and Syrian desserts. Egyptians stuff their sweets with almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, dates. Sweets tend to be absolutely drenched in sugar syrup, often more so than their neighbors. Rose water and orange blossom waters are used generously; many play with different textures in one bite.

Nuts are used in many desserts. Almonds, pistachios, and walnuts fill traditional pastries. Ground nuts are used in dips and spreads, for example, amlou, a Moroccan dip made with almonds, argan oil, and honey, and served with bread. Almonds and pine nuts are added to tagines and couscouses for texture and flavor.