The smell , color and variety of spices are striking . There are the bright reds of paprika and cayenne peppers alongside rich yellow turmeric , soft-hued ginger , dusty sticks of cinnamon all contrasting in texture with seeds of cumin , sesame , aniseed , caraway , coriander and many more . All are heaped in tubs waiting to be measured into twisted envelopes of paper . These are some of the spices that form the soul of Moroccan cooking , transforming simple dishes to exotic heights .
This Moroccan love of spices is a tradition handed down for thousands of years from their ancestors , who brought them in caravans across North Africa from Arabia and beyond . They brought with them the sophisticated knowledge of their uses as perfumes and medicines , as an enhancement of food and as currency for trade .
In one dusty spice shop , jars of ras-el-hanout ( which translates as ‘ shopkeeper ’ s choice ’) line the top shelf . Consisting of anything up to a hundred different spices , no two mixtures are the same and only the maker knows the quantity of the various ingredients . When I ask the shopkeeper what the contents of his mixture are , he throws his hands up dramatically and exclaims : “ This is the finest ras-elhanout in all of Fés , and the ingredients are secret .”
TRAVEL OFTEN . LIVE WELL . 21