"Herbs in Morocco" by Colleen Daley
Although Morocco is famous for its mint tea, there are dozens more herbs that are used regularly for teas, cooking, and medicinal purposes. Students often come to learn many uses for herbs based on their experiences here.
The most common herbs you will find in Morocco are cilantro and parsley. They are called “rbi3” or greens and usually chopped up to be used in many types of tagines or stews that Moroccans make on a daily basis. They are photographed here chopped and frozen, because most home cooks in Morocco will buy large bunches of cilantro and parsley, and then chop and freeze them in bulk to use at a later date.
Although Moroccans use many spices in their cooking, like cumin, paprika, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, ras el hanut, hot pepper, cinnamon, feugreek, cloves, saffron, and many more, fresh herbs are not as frequently used in cooking besides cilantro and parsley.
The most common use for herbs in Morocco is, as you may have guessed, for use in tea. And the most common herb used in tea is mint. Many people do not know, however, that there are actually many kinds of mint: spearmint, peppermint, pennyroyal, shiso mint. These mints are all used to make Moroccan tea – combined with sugar and gunpowder tea of course.
One of the most unique teas found in Morocco is the “tkhlita” mix – gunpowder tea, sugar, and eight herbs mix. Herbs can include spearmint, peppermint, pennyroyal, sage, verbena, green thyme, shizo mint, wormwood, and dill. Can you identify all the herbs shown in this tkhlita mix?
One more of the most popular tea herbs in Morocco is called “shiba” – in English known as wormwood or absinthe. Yes, this herb is used to make THAT absinthe, but in Morocco it mostly used with tea in the winter months because it is considered warm or spicy, unlike the mint varieties known for their cooling effects.
Besides uses in cooking and tea, there are many herbs in Morocco used for medicinal uses. These uses are often passed down through families for generations, and each family in each region has a special use. One of the most common herbs used for stomach ailments and relaxation is “louisa” or lemon verbena. It can be used in tea or steeped in milk as a beverage, but it is also used medicinally – usually boiled in hot water with a touch of sugar – by so many that it can be found in most hanuts and even in tea bags in large grocery store chains.
