IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY


STARTERS ASK THE EXPERTS


OUR PANEL ANSWERS YOUR CULINARY QUESTIONS, INCLUDING HOW TO USE BARBERRIES AND WHICH COFFEE HOUSES TO VISIT IN VIENNA


THE EXPERTS


Christine Benlafquih founder of Taste of Maroc


I’m planning a trip to Marrakech. How easy is it to dine out as a vegetarian? Christine Benlafquih: Although some of Morocco’s most celebrated dishes centre around meat, vegetarians will have no trouble eating out in Marrakech, with vegetables and legumes showing up in salads, soups, starters and mains such as tagine. Bread is a staple, so look out for khobz (a round, flat loaf that’s used instead of utensils), harcha (a pan-fried semolina flatbread), krachel (brioche-like sweet rolls), batbout (a flatbread) or msemen (square, laminated ‘crepes’). Djemaa el Fna, the city’s main square, is great


for street food in the evenings, with stalls serving salads, grilled veg and maakouda (potato cakes) stuffed into bread. If you’re tempted by harira soup (made with tomato, lentils and chickpeas), addis (stewed lentils) or loubia (stewed white beans), check they’re meat-free.


Restaurants catering to tourists are most


likely to offer vegetarian tagines and couscous, but even small local places might have salads — either fresh or cooked, such as aubergine- based zaalouk. For traditional food, head to Al Fassia, a family-owned restaurant staffed exclusively by women. Vegetarians will find a la carte selections, as well as a three-course menu featuring a main dish such as vegetable couscous with caramelised onions. At Marrakech Henna Art Cafe, in the


medina, you can browse the art and crafts, get a henna tattoo and enjoy lunch or early dinner. In addition to smoothies and salads, veggie dishes include a falafel sandwich. Another good option for meat-free dishes is Lebanese restaurant Naranj. For starters, why not try the cheese briouats and mezze, and for mains, the aubergine and bulgur plate.


Saghar Setareh food photographer and writer


Astrid Hofer London/Vienna- based journalist


Sunset at Djemaa el Fna, Marrakech


Margarita Carrillo Arronte author of Mexico: The Cookbook


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Can you recommend ways to use barberries? Saghar Setareh: Although barberries grow wild in most parts of the world, their culinary uses are little- known outside of Iran. The bushes, which vary in size, sprout small, yellow or orange flowers in spring, and by summer grow fruit. Barberries (‘zereshk’, in Farsi) are small and ruby red, with a distinctive sharp, acidic flavour. In Iran, the unripe fruit is used in some old pickle recipes, while the ripe, fresh fruit is often used in jam, fruit rolls and juices. However, because barberries are so delicate


— and not available year-round — it’s the dried fruit NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/FOOD-TRAVEL


that’s most used in Iranian cuisine. There are many recipes that feature barberries alongside poultry, the best-known being zereshk-polow, a pilaf often served with saffron chicken. A mixture of barberries with saffron rice is also often used as garnish on plain pilafs — the dried barberries are briefly cooked with a small amount of sugar and butter. They can also be used in kuku sabzi, a herb frittata with walnuts. As for where to buy them, you’ll find them in


specialist Middle Eastern and Iranian shops, as well as at Waitrose and online. Keep dried barberries in the freezer to preserve their bright colour.


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