Bissara — Chefchaouen, Morocco

Bissara is eaten across northern Morocco, but Chefchaouen has made it its winter dish: in the blue lanes of the medina, stalls serve nothing else, from morning until evening, in clay bowls, with bread and a glass of tea. The recipe is poverty turned into comfort: dried, peeled fava beans, boiled with garlic until they fall apart, blended into a smooth purée with cumin and olive oil, then served with a generous drizzle of oil, and cumin, paprika, and chili powder for those who want them. It thickens as it cools: thin it out with hot water.