Of Saffron and Spices

Walk into the Medina in Rabat, and you will see vendors selling everything from art, ceramics, fabrics, metal lanterns...all within the winding white and blue lanes.  It feels like a maze with sights and sounds to satisfy even the fussiest of customers.


Tucked away towards the back of the warren of lanes is the spice store.  Little colorful hills of spice powders are piled high!  The yellow hill at the back is turmeric, the red paprika.  Then there's coriander, cinnamon and ginger powders! A happy salesman cheerfully answered all our curious questions.  Little wonder how aromatic and flavorful Moroccan cuisine is! Tagine, Pastilla, Couscous, Rfissa, Harira soup....this yummy list can go on and on!

Another famous product of Morocco is saffron.  Saffron is the stigma from the purple crocus flower. It is harvested in the fall from the foot of the Atlas mountains.  It's sweet, unique flavor can transform an ordinary dish into one fit for a king! In the medina, one gram of saffron costs 25 dirhams.  It takes about 115 stigma to create one gram.  




The spice store also had mountains of dates, almonds, walnuts, figs, and sacks full of many other edibles which were unfamiliar for me.  Time to go and learn some more! 




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