Fresh Herbs (Coriander, Parsley & Mint)

What it is

The Moroccan 'herb trinity' is coriander (cilantro, qazbor), flat-leaf parsley (maadnous) and mint (na'na', almost always spearmint rather than peppermint). Coriander and parsley are so often used together that sellers tie them into a single mixed bunch; the mint is a separate, and huge, trade of its own, sold in fat bundles for tea.

These are pantry staples in the truest daily sense — bought fresh from the market that morning, in quantities that would startle a Western cook, and used generously rather than as a garnish. Because they are produce, not dried seasonings, they belong here rather than among the spice-souk jars.

Other fresh aromatics — wild thyme, oregano, verbena, celery leaf — appear seasonally, but coriander, parsley and mint are the constants of the Marrakchi kitchen.

In the Moroccan kitchen

Chopped coriander and parsley are the green base of chermoula, the herb-and-spice marinade for fish, and they go by the handful into harira, tagines, zaalouk and countless salads, stirred in near the end so they stay bright. A bundle of the stems is often dropped whole into a simmering pot and lifted out later.

Mint's great destiny is Moroccan mint tea: a generous bunch of fresh spearmint steeped with green gunpowder tea and sugar, the leaves crammed into the pot and the glass alike. Fresh mint also brightens some salads and drinks, but tea is where it reigns.

Handling is simple: wash and dry the herbs, chop coriander and parsley together for the classic mix, tear or bruise mint for tea, and add all of them late so their volatile oils are not cooked flat.

• Chermoula — coriander and parsley pounded with garlic and spices
• Harira, tagines and zaalouk — a fistful of chopped herbs stirred in late
• Moroccan salads — coriander and parsley for freshness
• Mint tea — a generous bunch of spearmint in the pot
• Stems dropped whole into the pot, then lifted out

How to choose & store

Buy herbs that look freshly cut: perky, deep-green leaves with firm stems and a strong, clean aroma when you brush them. Avoid bunches that are yellowing, wilted, slimy at the stem or smell musty — herbs turn fast in the heat. For tea, look for mint with plenty of tender top leaves and a bright, sweet smell; the fatter and fresher the bundle, the better the tea.

Because they are cheap and used in quantity, buy them the day you cook and use them quickly rather than trying to stockpile.

Buying it in Marrakech

What to look for at the stall — and how to buy well without invented prices to anchor you.

• Buy from the fresh-produce stalls and the herb sellers in and around the covered markets, where coriander and parsley come tied together and mint is sold in big bundles.
• Choose perky, deep-green, fragrant bunches; skip anything yellowing, wilting or slimy at the base.
• For tea, pick the freshest, leafiest mint you can find — brush it and smell for a bright, sweet spearmint aroma.
• Buy little and often; herbs are inexpensive and best used the day you buy them rather than stored.
• Ask for the mixed coriander-and-parsley bunch (qazbor w maadnous) — the standard base for chermoula and tagines.

Substitutes

• Coriander and parsley are not interchangeable — coriander is citrus-pungent, parsley is grassy — but in a pinch you can lean on whichever you have, adjusting for flavour.
• For mint tea, spearmint is traditional; peppermint is more medicinal and sharper, so use less if that is all you have.
• Dried herbs are a poor substitute for fresh here — where a recipe wants a fistful of fresh coriander, dried simply cannot stand in.