1. The heart of Moroccan cuisine
Ammarah Seedat

2. The market place is at the heart of Moroccan cuisine.*
These open-air stalls are alive with the fragrance of fresh herbs and pungent spices, the clatter of tea glasses on silver trays and eye-catching displays of intricately painted tagines and serving dishes, not to mention the piles of glowing fresh produce.
* Marrakech Market (Mother Nature Network, 2013)

3. The market place
The food section has everything a Moroccan kitchen needs, from fresh, dried preserved produce to meat , poultry and fish. Other treats include large bullet-shaped cones of compacted sugar sold in bulk for sweetening mint tea, Chinese green tea, bottles of scented rose, and orange-blossom waters and tubs of wild honey. * **
***
*Casablanca, central market (sweets.seriouseats.com, 2009)
**Orange-blossom and Rose water (sweets.seriouseats.com, 2009)
*** Preserved lemons (sweets.seriouseats.com, 2009)

4. The market place
As the Moroccan market shows, the key to Moroccan cooking is fresh is best. The ingredients used in the recipes that follow are available from fresh food markets and specialist food stores. Alternative ingredients are offered for more unusual items.