Moroccan embassy hosting food festival

Where there is profound history, there is also an important cuisine style, according to Nouria Alj Hakim, wife of Moroccan Ambassador to Beijing Jaafar Alj Hakim.

"Moroccan cuisine is 2,000 years old. It is one of the top cuisines of the world, along with French and Chinese food styles," she said.

The Moroccan embassy is holding a Moroccan food festival at the VIC international buffet restaurant of Wanda Sofitel Beijing, from Dec 1-7. Two chefs from Morocco are preparing typical delicacies, such as tagine chicken and lamb, couscous, vegetable soups, eggplant and fish roe salad, as well as Moroccan sweets, to be washed down with mint tea. A Moroccan singer performs traditional singing with two Moroccan musicians at the entrance of the restaurant.

"The cuisine was a matter of woman before, and demands a lot of passion about it," Nouria Alj Hakim said.

Typical traditional Moroccan dishes inspire chefs around the world.

There are some similarities between Chinese and Moroccan foods, according to Nouria Alj Hakim. For example, Moroccan chefs also make sweet marinated garlic, using ginger and honey. The cuisine also uses a lot of spices such as cinnamon.

"Food is a bridge between China and Morocco," said Jaafar Alj Hakim.

Lunch costs 198 yuan ($32.5) per head and dinner 268 yuan per head. The Moroccan weekend brunch is priced at 408 yuan per person, plus 15 percent surcharge.

6/F Wanda Sofitel Beijing, Block C Wanda Square, 93 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-8599-6666 Ext 6521