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Culinarily speaking, Eid al-Adha is a festival of dishes revolving around the holiday sacrifice. From staples such as the first-day liver barbecues to traditional feasts that follow, including Mrouzia, Rass Mbekher and Meshwi parts, these dishes all share the same foundations: Eid meat and spices.
And preparations for Eid begin days before the holiday, as demand rises for the spices without which these dishes would feel incomplete.
Aatria, or spices, flood the markets to meet the needs of shoppers preparing for Eid. The most sought-after spice is cumin, widely used in barbecues, one of the dishes most commonly prepared during Eid celebrations.
«People mostly come asking for cumin», said Brahim, a wholesaler in the old Medina of Marrakech. Second on the list is «dried coriander», he added.
Eid flavors take shape
Brahim is one of many sellers anticipating this seasonal demand ahead of Eid. «Normally, in the days leading up to Eid al-Adha, we see strong demand for spices and other holiday-related products», he said. «For now, demand is still moderate, but it usually peaks about a week before Eid».
While cumin remains the most sought-after spice ahead of Eid al-Kebir, Youssef, owner of Dar Attar in Marrakech’s Al Massar district, says Moroccans mostly prefer the local variety, kamoun beldi.
In addition to staple spices such as paprika, turmeric and pepper, they also tend to buy specific blends, or takhlita, prepared especially for dishes associated with the holiday.
«Customers come asking for barbecue spice mixes and Mrouzia blends», Youssef said. The latter combines basic spices with herbs and ingredients such as cardamom, mace, cloves and nutmeg.
Some customers also request custom blends tailored to their preferences. «But most prefer buying whole spices and grinding them at home, or asking for them to be ground in front of them because they do not fully trust pre-ground products», he explained.
A taste for local products
While many customers prefer locally produced spices, not all the products sold on the market are Moroccan.
Ahmed, from the Beni Mellal-based spices cooperative Cherkaoui, works with both local and imported products.
«Local products include ginger, cumin and paprika. Local turmeric is very rare, so it is mostly imported. Other imported products include pepper, cinnamon, white pepper and some varieties of cumin», he explained.
Paprika is also one of the products almost entirely produced in Morocco, particularly in the Beni Mellal region, Ahmed said. «Around 90 percent of the paprika sold in Morocco is locally produced. People like it because it is high quality, they are used to its taste, and it has a beautiful color», he added.
In terms of prices, locally produced spices tend to be more expensive. «Supply is lower, and they require more processing and cleaning, such as local cumin, which contains a lot of debris», Brahim explained.
Although not technically spices, other products are also heavily purchased alongside them, including resins, dried plums, dried apricots and almonds. Salt as well, «because people use it extensively for Gueddid», sun-dried meat prepared during Eid.
But while spice prices are currently stable, prices for almonds and dried plums have increased, Brahim says. The same applies to dried apricots, «whose price has risen from 120 dirhams to 250 dirhams per kilo, with some shortages reported while demand for them remains very high this Eid», he added.
Whether locally produced or imported, spices remain at the center of Eid preparations, shaping the flavors of dishes that continue to define the holiday for many Moroccan families.
