Harira

The origin of its name is the word silk (harira in Arabic), a soup so named due to its velvety texture. This rich soup includes several types of legumes (mostly chickpeas and brown or green lentils), tomatoes, thin noodles or grits, and meat (mostly lamb); there are also vegetarian versions. The silk effect in question is achieved through a mixture that includes flour, water – and in the modern version, canned tomatoes.

Due to the richness of its flavors and ingredients, harira is eaten to break fast on Yom Kippur among Moroccan Jews, similar to the Muslim custom of eating soup for the daily breaking of the fast (iftar) during Ramadan.