If you are a vegan or not a fan of dry meat, this article might serve as a means to explore new cultural information on Morocco’s cuisine.
Rabat – Eid Al Adha is a significant religious event in which Muslims promote solidarity and charity. The feast is also an opportunity for epicures and culinary enthusiasts to enjoy Morocco’s cuisine.
Eid celebrations differ from one country to another. Celebrating Eid Al Adha in Morocco is a unique experience. Despite the state of emergency and the COVID-19-induced lockdown, the distinct flavor of a Moroccan Eid will undoubtedly remain.
Some of the most remarkable memories to remember about Eid are the spicy, sweet, and salty meat-based dishes.
One of Morocco’s unique Eid Al Adha dishes is gedid, also spelled guedid in Moroccan Arabic (Darija), which is dry meat.
Dating back centuries, gedid is still common in the country and is mostly prepared during Eid Al Adha.
The dish takes us back to pre-refrigerator times. Families used to dry meat using specific spices to protect it from rotting.
Borders are closed, and therefore, only a few thousand foreigners, probably stranded in Morocco, will experience the country’s unique Eid Al Adha atmosphere.
If it happens that you are in Morocco during Eid 2020, you might explore different rituals, including in the culinary sphere.
Dry meat is common across the world, but cuisine tips differ from a kitchen in one country to a kitchen in the next.
Moroccans use gedid in several dishes, including with white beans, onions, lentils, and couscous.
Most Moroccans do not cook the meat after slaughtering a sheep. Those experienced recommend giving it a chance to dry.
Some families, however, use sheep arm meat to prepare couscous for a gathering the same night.
If you are interested in trying Moroccan gedid, this is how locals prepare it.
Hang your meat to dry
You will need to carefully slice or chop sheep or lamb meat longitudinally, into strips.
The meat should not be too thick because the spices should permeate it deeply to dry just right.
The quantity of spices depends on how much meat you are using.
For instance, if you are using one kilogram of sheep meat, you will need two tablespoons of dry coriander powder, two heads of garlic, and two tablespoons of salt.
For this amount of meat, you will need a small tablespoon of turmeric for coloring and two tablespoons of vegetable oil or olive oil, depending on your preference.
If you have more or less than a kilogram of meat, you can adjust the amount of spices and oil accordingly.
Put all the ingredients in a pot and make sure to mix everything together with the meat.
You will have to wait on the meat for a whole night. Keep the pot in the refrigerator and make sure to cover it.
The next morning, hope that it is a sunny day because you will need natural sunlight for your meat to dry.
If you are visiting Morocco this year, you might see some families hanging long, yellowish strips outside. As long as it is not a pair of yellow socks, what you are seeing is gedid.
Moroccans use clotheslines to hang the meat to dry.
When the meat is fully dry, it should go in the refrigerator—a great alternative to traditional storage methods to maintain flavor and quality! It will be used to prepare some of Morocco’s common Eid dishes, including couscous
