Berber cuisine

 as experienced by me

(an ex NYC)  in the Detroit Metro Area

Number two  in a series of  Food analysis in the Metro D 

As of this article Your culinary journey has started at  beta of   the alpha bet - B for Berber (Morocco)

Posted on October 16, 2017 by sugarscience by Margo the Foodie

 and thanks to wikipedia  for the summary  below:

Although they are the original inhabitants of North Africa, Berbers lived in very contained communities and in spite of various incursions by Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Ottomans and French. Having been subject to limited external influences, these populations lived free from factors making for acculturation. (Not melting pot, not assimilation, not persecution. Wow.

Very simply  in Morocco , Berbers are respected - they are the originals .

  The acculturation is best explained by this quote from metrotimes.com : " Morocco is a cultural crossroads and that's reflected in its food with identifiable elements of Iberian, Mediterranean, North African Jewish, and Berber cuisine."    

The Berber cuisine is considered as a traditional cuisine which evolved little in the course of time. Couscous and Tagine are the principal dishes for special feasts, celebrations, etc within the means of everyone.

And in your case lucky metropolitan Detroit - you can hit up Casablanca in Ypsilanti - on your way to an Ann Arbor weekend. The non tailgate weekend. Lets call it the visit the library to do research on the family history weekend. You must stop here. It will save you the plane ticket to the  Levant Casablanca  , which is the Detroit of Morocco in a business sense.  Having wandered its souks speaking French and eating  fish figs and filo bread (baklava) and knowing that I cannot reproduce these flavors I found this place .

Casablanca

http://www.casablancaypsilanti.com/

2333 Washtenaw Ave, Ypsilanti

734-961-7825

Berber cuisine differs from one area to another within North Africa. Thus, it is not easy to speak about a typically Berber cuisine. A classification is essential, in order to emphasize the specificities of each Berber group. Zayanes of the region of Khénifra around the Middle Atlas have a cuisine of a remarkable but tasty simplicity. It is based primarily on corn, barley, ewe’s milk, goat cheese, butter, honey, meat, and game.

couscous dish

Tajine dish

The principal Berber food is:

• Couscous, a dish enjoyed worldwide
• Tajine, a very diversified dish, made in various forms:
  • Tajine with chicken, lemon and olives
  • Tajine with tuna
  • Tajine with sardines
  • Tajine with lamb meat and caramelized plum
  • Tajine with plums
  • Tajine with legumes and endives
  • Tajine with turkey and potatoes
• Pastilla
• bread made with traditional yeast
• “Bouchiar” (fine wafer without yeast soaked with butter and natural honey)
• “Bourjeje” (pancake made containing flour, of eggs, yeast and salt)
• “Tahricht” (containing offal: brain, tripe, lung, heart: these ingredients are rolled up with the intestines on a stick of oak and cooked on embers.)
  
• Mechoui or lamb barbecue – a whole sheep roasted in artisanal ovens, designed especially for this use. The sheep is coated with natural butter, which makes it tastier. This dish is mainly designed to be served at festivities.
• I personally had this as a  guest after Ramadan, while visiting a friend in Marrakesh. 

  
  Marrakesh main square- the Medina
  This is a UNESCO world Heritage site. Its a giant street fair.
   The party starts at sundown  
  You have got to go...just for the fresh squeezed OJ and sweets
  which are also available at Casablanca Ypsilanti 

  https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g293734-d324126-i196435068-Medina_of_Marrakesh-Marrakech_Marrakech_Tensift_El_Haouz_Region.html

The Holidays are coming :  Couscous and Tagine are the principal dishes for special feasts, celebrations, etc within the means of everyone. Try it for Thanksgiving ,as a great way to serve rice with some flavor. It is so easy to make-- here is a recipe.  Of course you can find couscous at Target  and Walmart.

But you could go to  Casablanca , and get appetizers , etc.. 

 Trip Advisor link for this metropolitan restaurant here