Food writer Ghillie Başan “explores the vibrant history and culinary culture” of the Kingdom of Morocco, opening a gastronomic gateway to the land of the setting sun in the Maghreb region of North Africa.
Trained at Le Cordon Bleu, and with a background in social anthropology—or the study of human societies and cultures—Başan, who also runs cookery workshops and ‘Spice Safaris’ at her home in the Scottish Cairngorms, is a spice specialist, sometimes referred to as the “Original Spice Girl”.
In this vibrant book, filled with Başan’s zingy descriptions, and complemented by colourful photographs taken by adventurer Alice Morrison, Başan evokes pyramids of spices at the souk, camel caravans, and the bustling mountain markets of the Berber, or Amazigh—the indigenous peoples of North Africa, all whilst conjuring the food history of Morocco, or Al Maghreb.
“A table laden with a Moroccan feast can tell the fascinating story of the country and its people,” says Başan, “and the influences from the cultures that have left their mark”—and so we explore how Moroccan cuisine has been shaped by the Amazigh, the nomadic, desert-dwelling Bedouins, and the Moors (the Muslim populations of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages), discovering the impact of African, Arabic, Jewish, Ottoman (Turkish Empire), and French culture on Morocco’s culinary heritage.
Başan also unveils traditions, such as regional festivals that celebrate nature’s abundance. There are festivals centred around the harvest of olives, clementines, apples, pears, almonds, cherries, honey, and the bounty of the sea—as well as a yearly Festival of Dates in Erfoud in the Draa Valley, plus the fragrant Rose Festival in El Kelaa M’Gouna, honouring the 4,000 tonnes of roses grown annually in the Valley of Roses in the Dades Valley, often used for rose tea, rosewater, and rose petal jam.
Hospitality is a tradition here, too. “Food and family are the heartbeat of Moroccan culture,” Başan tells us, and cookery is its “perfumed soul.” Moroccan food is all about “sharing and welcoming”, and Başan tells a lovely tale of being greeted with a bowl of plump dates dipped in rosewater and milk at Kasbah du Toubkal—a Berber hospitality centre in the village of Imlil in the High Atlas Mountains.
The recipes Başan shares feature classic Moroccan ingredients, such as olives, preserved lemons, and ras el hanout—a blend of thirty spices said to have been created by a warrior who wished to evoke the “flavours of the countries he had passed through.” Başan also tells us about naana (mint), used in the national drink of atay bi nahna (mint tea), and couscous—the national dish created by the Berbers, typically made using semolina flour and water, and believed to bestow a spiritual “blessing upon those who consume it.”
Featuring the “hot, spicy, sweet, and fruity” flavour profile of Moroccan cooking, Başan tempts our tastebuds with recipes such as zitoun mchermel (olives with harissa and preserved lemons, perfect for small, taster plates called kemia, or mezze), the “comfort food” of rfissa (a layer of shredded, pancake-like flatbreads called m’semen topped with chicken, lentils, onions, and broth), and Morocco’s most famous sweet dish, m’hanncha—a snake-like, coiled pastry filled with almond paste, cinnamon, and orange flower water.
Just as spices combine to create a flavoursome meal, Başan blends food, history, and culture in this lush cookbook—a must-read for lovers of Moroccan or North African cuisine, and anyone fascinated by how food can provide a flavour of a country’s ancient past.
The Moroccan Cookbook: Exploring the Food of an Ancient Cuisine (Lorenz Books, 2025) by Ghillie Başan. Review by R. B. L. Robinson.
