A tajine or tagine is a Berber dish, named after the earthenware
pot in which it is cooked. It is also called maraq or marqa.
The traditional tajine pottery, sometimes painted or glazed, 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 all condensation to the bottom. That
process can be improved by adding cold water into the specially
designed well at the top of the lid.
Tajine is traditionally cooked over hot charcoal leaving an adequate
space between the coals and the tajine pot to avoid having the
temperature rise too quickly. Large bricks of charcoal are used,
specifically for their ability to stay hot for hours. Other methods are
to use a tajine in a slow oven or on a gas or electric stove top, on the
lowest heat necessary to keep the stew simmering gently. A diffuser, a
circular utensil placed between the tajine and the flame, is used to evenly
distribute the stove's heat.
Many ceramic tajines are decorative items as well as functional cooking
vessels. Some tajines, however, are intended only to be used as decorative
serving dishes.