Matbucha (, ''maṭbūkhah''; ) is a North African condiment or cooked salad consisting of cooked

tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

es and roasted

bell pepper The bell pepper (also known as sweet pepper, paprika, pepper, capsicum or, in some parts of the US midwest, mango) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in diff ...

s seasoned with

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

and

chili pepper Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of fruit#Berries, berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to ...

, and slow-cooked for a number of hours. It is traditionally served in North Africa with a traditional Moroccan bread and as a condiment typically served as part of an

appetizer An hors d'oeuvre ( ; ), appetiser, appetizer or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the meal, or th ...

, often as part of a salad course. Matbucha has been brought to

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

Moroccan Jews Moroccan Jews (; ; ) are Jews who live in or are from Morocco. Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community dating to Roman Empire, Roman times. Jews began immigrating to the region as early as 70 CE. They were much later met by a second wave o ...

and is now a staple in the country, it may be enjoyed as a dip or used as a base for shakshouka.

Preparation

Matbucha is prepared by cooking tomatoes, bell peppers, chilis, and garlic over low heat for many hours until they cook down into a smooth, thick spread similar to jam in consistency.

Commercial variants

Brands include Sabra (by Osem), Achla (by Strauss-Elite), and others. In recent years, matbucha has become available in the United States under the New York Shuk brand, among several others. There is also a version made with eggplants.

References

{{Salads Appetizers Arab cuisine Algerian cuisine Moroccan cuisine Tunisian cuisine Condiments Salads

Preparation

Commercial variants

See also

References