thumb|A Portuguese-made tagine pot
A tagine or tajine, also tajin or tagin () is a Maghrebi dish, and the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. It is also called or .
Etymology
The Arabic () is derived from Ancient Greek () 'frying-pan, saucepan'. According to some sources, the word originates from the Persian rice dish tahchin.
Origin
According to some sources, the history of tagine dates back to the time of Harun al-Rashid, the fifth Abbasid Caliph. The concept of cooking in a tagine appears in the famous One Thousand and One Nights, an Arabic-language story collection from the 9th century.
Étienne Villot recounts in his book Customs and Institutions of the Indigenous People of Algeria (1888):<blockquote>All indigenous women know how to make pottery, from humble cups to the immense kolla of the Kabyle Algerians. Clay pottery is very common in Algeria. Various colors, usually red, yellow, and black, are applied to the pottery pieces shaped by the women. These colors are fixed onto the clay using a varnish composed of pine resin and a bit of olive oil. Kabyle women have great skill in these types of work.</blockquote>There are many descriptions of how to prepare a tagine from Arab scholars. A famous description is the one from ibn al-Adim (1192–1262):
Tagines have been in use for an extended period, persisting to the present day. In 1859, French explorer, geographer, archaeologist, librarian, and Maghreb expert Oscar Mac Carthy recounted encountering cooking tagines and pottery in the streets of Algeria. He described them as large hollow pots of various shapes. Additionally, a Tunisian review from 1896 also references the presence of pottery and tagines in Tunisia.
Pottery and cooking technique
The traditional tagine pottery is earthenware, sometimes painted or glazed, and consists of two parts: a circular base unit that is flat with low sides and a large cone- or dome-shaped cover that sits on the base during cooking. The cover is designed to return condensation to the bottom. Some liquid is also gradually absorbed by the unglazed ceramic interior. After most of the liquid is either evaporated or reabsorbed by the food, the hot ceramic tagine serves as a oven to bake it. The food author Paula Wolfert describes tagine cooking as a "magical process" which braises, steams, and bakes ingredients in one vessel. The dish can be served in its tagine, with the cover removed just before eating. Many ceramic tagines are decorative items as well as functional cooking vessels. Some tagines, however, are intended only to be used as decorative serving dishes, and cannot withstand cooking heat. Spices, nuts, and dried fruits are also used. Common spices include ginger, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and saffron. Paprika and chili are used in vegetable tagines. The sweet and sour combination is common in tagine dishes like lamb with prunes and spices. Tagines are generally served with bread. Because the domed or cone-shaped lid of the tagine pot traps steam and returns the condensed liquid to the pot, a minimal amount of water is needed to cook meats and vegetables. This method of cooking is important in areas where water supplies are limited or where public water is not yet available.
Tunisian and Libyan tagine
thumb|Tunisian tajine
What Tunisians refer to as a "tagine" is very different from other forms of the dish. Tunisian tajine is more like a French quiche while the Libyan is more similar to an Italian frittata or an eggah. First, a simple ragout is prepared, of meat cut into very small pieces, cooked with onions and spices, such as a blend of dried rose flower buds and ground cinnamon known as baharat or a robust combination of ground coriander and caraway seeds; this is called tabil. Then a starch such as cannellini beans, chickpeas, breadcrumbs or cubed potatoes, is added to thicken the juices. When the meat is tender, it is combined with the ingredients which have been chosen to be the dominant flavouring. Examples include fresh parsley, dried mint, saffron, sun-dried tomatoes, cooked vegetables and stewed calves' brains. Next, the stew is enriched with cheese and eggs. Finally, this egg and stew are baked in a deep pie dish, either on the stove or in the oven until top and bottom are crisply cooked and the eggs are just set. When the tagine is ready, it is turned out onto a plate and sliced into squares, accompanied by wedges of lemon. Tunisian tagines can also be made with seafood or as a completely vegetarian dish.
In rural parts of Tunisia, home cooks place a shallow earthenware dish over olive-wood coals, fill it, cover it with a flat earthenware pan, and then pile hot coals on top. The resulting tajine is crusty on top and bottom, moist within and is infused with a subtle smoky fragrance.
Maghrebi Jewish tagine
Maghrebi Jews also eat and prepare tagine, owing to their historic presence in North Africa. Tagine is a very important dish in Sephardi cuisine, and is commonly eaten and prepared by Moroccan Jews, Algerian Jews, Tunisian Jews, Libyan Jews, Djerban Jews, and by French Jews, Jewish Americans, and Israelis, due to the large population of Sephardim in those countries.
Tagine is a mainstay of Sephardic cuisine commonly prepared for Shabbat dinners in the Sephardi community, and served with couscous. Sephardim from different regions prepare different styles of tagine; for instance, Moroccan Jews often prepare tagine with dried fruits, while Tunisian Jews often prepare a vegetable tagine containing potatoes, carrots, and zucchini cut into large dice. Tagine is also commonly prepared for Jewish holidays such as Rosh Hashanah and the Yom Kippur break-fast.
Gallery
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Tajine potter.jpg|Tajine potter
File:Traditional_pottery_utensils_from_Safi-Morocco.jpg|Decorated tagine
File:Tajine Querschnitt.tif|Cross section of a dome-lidded tajine
File:ElectricalTajine3.jpg|Electrical tajine
File:Tagine aux olives algérien.jpg|Algerian chicken and olive tajine
File:Tajin aux pruneaux.JPG|Tajine with lamb, prunes and almonds
File:Meatballtajine.jpg|Algerian tajine with chicken, meatballs and olives
File:ZnuTjn2a.jpg|A vegetable tagine in a London restaurant
File:Tajine marocain.jpg|A Moroccan tajine
</gallery>
See also
- List of Middle Eastern dishes
- List of African dishes
- List of egg dishes
- Berber cuisine
- List of stews
- Rfissa
- List of cooking vessels