Throughout the history of Egypt food has carried a strong influence from nearby neighbors in the Middle East. Different people, such as the Greeks, Romans, Persians and Arabs carried a strong influence on the foods of Egypt from thousands of years before and recently, other Arabic people such as Palestinians, Syrians and the Lebanese have changed the way Egyptians eat.
Food of North Africa - North African Cuisine
Food by Country » Food in North Africa » - Food of North Africa, North African Cuisine, Food from North Africa
North African Cuisine
North Africa
North African recipes are the results of the blending of European, African, and Arabic cuisines. North African food originated in Egypt over 3000 years ago. In the 1st century, the Phoenicians brought sausages to North Africa. The Carthaginians, on the other hand, brought wheat and semolina. Couscous, the staple dish, was introduced by the Berbers. Egyptian and Libyan cuisines were primarily influenced by Turkish cuisine. France brought its food to Algeria, Spanish food influenced Morocco, and Tunisia has elements of Italian cuisine. Cinnamon, saffron, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg were introduced by the Arabs in the 7th century. North America contributed tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and potatoes to North African cuisine. Desserts and sweets were contributions of the Ottoman Empire. There is more than one staple food in North Africa. Some of these foods are goat, almonds, seafood, olives, beef, dates, lamb, and vegetables. North African food is very spicy since paprika, cumin, and ginger are commonly used in dishes. Spice mixtures are just as popular as the spices themselves. Some of these spice mixtures are harissa (a hot chili sauce made from pepper, chili powder, coriander, and caraway), ras el hanout (a mixture of pepper, nutmeg, cumin, turmeric, and cardamom), and baharat (a blend of allspice, black pepper, paprika, nutmeg, and cumin).
Egypt
Morocco
Unlike many other countries in Africa, Morocco is able to produce all the food that its people need. There are many different kinds of home-grown fruits and vegetables found including melons, tomatoes, oranges, peppers, and potatoes. Other native ingredients that are essential to the Moroccan cuisine include dates, almonds, lemons, olives and figs. Since it is located on the Mediterranean, much of the Moroccan diet includes seafood and fish and as a result, beef is not often found in the foods of the country.