North African Travel; Dietary Restrictions to Consider
Traveling to North Africa is a dream very few world travelers will ever experience. Bordered by the Mediterranean, the North African region offers a unique experience to travelers in not only the scenary but also in the daily dining experience.
When traveling to any region of Africa, is it very important that every traveler consider the health status of the visiting region as well as the dietary status. Africa is the second largest continent in the world, with the most famined population. Oddly enough, Africans consider lunch to be the most important meal of the day with meat rarely considered the primary food selection. In fact, most meals consist of legumes and vegetables with meat only offered as a third option. With fish in abundance, the nutritional options are generally limited to fish selections with other types of meat served rarely, if ever, and usually seen on special occassions or holidays.
In North Africa, the most frequent meal preparation is a water base creating a soup or stew type substance. Spices and flavors will vary widely depending on the region of travel. In addition to soups and stews, meals may be steamed within a corn husk creating a sort of “lettuce wrap” we commonly see in the United States. Many meals, in North Africa, are influenced by Mediterranean and Muslim lifestyles. As a result, olive oil, garlic and onions are quite common in addition to spices of curry, cumin and cinnamon.
Of interesting importance is the forbidden consumption of alcoholic beverages among Islamic tradition. As a result, the North African dietary choices will generally not include alcohol although flavored teas and coffee are quite common as replacements.
If traveling on a restricted diet, prior to departure, consider tasting, researching and sampling ingredients and dishes commonly described as Moroccan or Tsunian as these two countries, in Africa, provide some of the basic ingredients one might experience while traveling in North Africa. Be mindful of the Mediterranean influence of the meals and the sparcity of meats such as beef, lamb and chicken. To truly experience the North African diet, restrict the options to fish, legumes, vegetables, couscous and opt for items prepared as a stew, soup or steamed in corn husks.
