We're heading back to the source, just an hour's boat ride from Spain to the mesmerizing Morocco. Where a home-cooked meal is not something scarce, where tradition and family are still considered sacred. Every ingredient is prepared with care and love and grown locally.
In this article, we will discuss two essential ingredients that Moroccan culinary aficionados and chefs alike, use to add authentic flavor to their recipes. We are talking about Preserved Beldi lemons and Beldi olives.
What Does Beldi Mean?
Beldi means "traditional" - for Moroccans, it means a locally grown product that packs more flavor. Anything imported or grown in a facility is not considered Beldi and is referred to as "Romi" which means foreign or imported.
What Makes Preserved Beldi Lemons And Olives Unique?
Preserved Beldi Lemons:
Morocco has 1.68 million trees bearing fresh lemons. Moroccan lemons are famous for their thinner skin and fragrant aroma, making them ideal for preservation. Preserved Beldi lemons are distinguished by their citrus fragrance that bursts through their thin skin.
Beldi Olives:
Morocco is ranked 6th in the world for annual olive production with 745,019 metric tons. Olive trees thrive in the Moroccan kingdom where olives are grown late in the season until they are fully ripe.
Unlike the olives you see in grocery stores, Beldi olives are small and shriveled, with a chewy texture. Morocco takes the flavor up a notch with salt-curing, resulting in a bold, salty, and delightfully bitter taste.
Are Any Other Beldi Ingredients Famous In Morocco?
Beldi Almonds:
From Bastilla to briwat, to Amlou, Moroccan almonds are a staple of Moroccan cuisine. The soft, bitter, sweet nut is used both as a garnish and as a key ingredient in many popular recipes in Morocco.
Beldi Chicken:
Beldi chicken tagine is a lip-smacking dish that you can't get anywhere. A Beldi chicken is a free-range chicken raised in the countryside. Its hormone-free and chemical-free meat makes it a rare ingredient in most restaurants.
Beldi Black Soap
We're steering clear of the culinary path, but we can't use the word "Beldi" without mentioning the famous Moroccan Beldi black soap. It's a 100% natural plant-based product, handmade with Beldi olives (olive oil and olive paste) as its main ingredient.
Beldi soap is an integral part of the Moroccan bathing culture. Moroccan black soap is loaded with vitamin E, which makes it an excellent exfoliator and moisturizer. It cleans the skin deeply and leaves it soft and silky from the first use.
Health Benefits Of Beldi Lemons And Beldi Olives
Beldi Lemons:
They're locally grown, authentic lemons that are all-natural antioxidants. The nutrients in Beldi lemons are known to prevent high blood pressure, and indigestion and improve teeth, skin, and hair when used as a beauty ingredient.
Beldi Olives
Moroccan olives are high potency micronutrients filled with antioxidants. Beldi olives are unaltered and naturally grown, making them packed with extra vitamins and minerals, as well as monounsaturated fatty acids.
The Taste Profile of Preserved Beldi Olives & Beldi Lemons
Lemons and olives are amazing fruits that, when wearing their "Beldi" cape, become a super-powered ingredient that brings any dish to life. Lemons add zest to soups and fish and put your salad dressing to shame. Meanwhile, olives are an honored guest in every tagine and roast chicken platter.
Beldi Olives:
Beldi Moroccan olives outshine other types of olives by a landslide in terms of flavor. Their delectable bitterness and soft texture make them a delicious treat and a prime ingredient in most dishes.
Preserved Beldi Lemons:
Moroccan preserved Beldi lemons are distinctly different from normal preserved lemons, starting with their larger shapes, strong fragrance, and very pronounced flavor profile. It's a robust and ultra-zesty type of preserved lemon that marks its presence in all dishes.
Are Preserved Beldi Lemons and Preserved Lemons The Same Thing?
The short answer is no. Beldi means traditional or locally grown. It refers to the source of the lemon. Beldi lemons are generally more pungent, lemony, and fragrant.
Preserved lemons are essentially pickled lemons. They are whole or sliced lemons packed in salt and pickled in their juice.
Preserved lemons are usually made with Beldi lemons, whose strong, punchy flavor profile makes them ideal for preserving.
Popular Moroccan Recipe With Beldi Preserved Lemons
Chicken With Preserved Lemon and Olives:
The most famous Moroccan recipe with Beldi preserved lemons is Chicken with preserved lemons and olives. This is without a doubt the most scrumptious dish that harnesses the power of both preserved lemons and olives.
Chicken with preserved lemons and olives is a celebratory feast that boasts an explosion of flavor dripping from the tender meat into the gravy sauce. The smell alone carries the inviting flavors of herbs, saffron and ginger.
For an authentic taste, and unmatched tenderness of the meat. Make sure to rub the spice mixture on the chicken so that it absorbs all the flavors. Then spoon the rest of the spice mixture inside the chicken, lifting the legs.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, thoroughly cleaned (preferably marinated in lemon juice and garlic overnight)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
1 tablespoon Moresh Extra Virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the Sauce
2 large yellow or white onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
1 cinnamon stick, optional
1 Moroccan preserved butter (optional),
3 to 4 tablespoons of Moresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1 Moresh preserved Beldi lemon
Moresh Green olives