Morocco is a country that can be enjoyed with all the senses, and especially with taste. For this reason, it is advisable to know the typical dishes well in order to appreciate them to the fullest. Just as we should not confuse the
couscous
y
sweet couscous
you are probably asking yourself: “Pastry or milk pastry? It is about two very different elaborations and here we tell you what the differences are. And as a recommendation, we can only say that… you must try both!
Standard’ pastry, a dish for any occasion
Pastilla, also called pastilla or bastela, is one of Morocco’s most traditional dishes. It has the appearance of a pie but when using filo pastry (a kind of puff pastry sheets), the result is not very resistant… And that is, for many, the fun: when eating it, either in bites or with cutlery, it breaks in the mouth of the diner, thus generating an explosion of flavor, texture, aroma and even sound, very characteristic.
Another special aspect of the regular pastry is the mixture of sweet and savory ingredients. sweet and savory ingredientsboth in the filling and on the outside. It is used poultry meatpigeon if possible, although chicken can also be used, as well as onion and spices. onion and spicesor the famous ras el hanout (spice mixture). On the other hand, it also introduces nuts (almonds), cinnamon, sugar and butterwhich gives it a sweet touch. As a finishing touch, it is usually sprinkled with powdered sugar, giving a very genuine white touch.
To obtain its crispy and compact consistency, the pastry is prepared in the oven in the oven. In some alternative versions, mushrooms or eggs can be used in the stuffing, and it even has its own vegetarian version based on different vegetables cut into pieces.
This dish can be easily found in restaurants restaurants Moroccan restaurants, but also in street stalls. In fact, it can be eaten as a ‘fast food’ or snack in markets such as the one in Jemaa el Fna Square. But also in cities such as Tangier or Chaouen, to cite other examples, as it is actually a widespread dish throughout the country.
Pastela de leche, a dessert for great occasions
Pastela de leche, as can be deduced from its name, is a variant of the standard pastela. It is also called
jawhara
o
ktefa
. And since its flavor is sweet in its entirety, it is usually offered as a special desserton special occasions.
At first glance, it has a certain resemblance to the normal pastela, but the pastela de leche is usually smaller, individual size (while the other is cake size and is usually cut in portions).
In addition, it is evident that its texture is more spongier. This is because, in spite of the use of filo pastry friedfried, it is bathed in a sauce, the main ingredient of which is milk. milkto which is added sugar, cinnamon sugar, cinnamon and cornstarchamong other ingredients. For the filling, milk sauce is also used, in this case with almonds, all in different layers separated by filo pastry.
In this case, as we said, the milk pastry is widely used as a dessert, but it is not so widespread throughout the country, but rather in the city of Fez. city of FezIt is considered one of its most typical sweets. For this reason, it is not usually missing in celebrations such as weddings and other social banquets.
So, to taste it, you can go to the many bakeries and pastry shops in Fez, especially in the historic center, where you are sure to find these confections, as well as other Moroccan sweets such as chebakias and almond and pistachio pastries, among others. And if you need a recommendation on the ideal place for it, do not hesitate to ask the staff of our agency.
