Bon Appetit

Food is universal, and learning to cook Moroccan food and sharing some of my favorite foods has been one of the best parts of my year here! Here's a few of my favorite Moroccan dishes! 

This is called Raifa or Msemmen. I eat it for breakfast and sometimes with tea in the late afternoon. It's delicious with jam or amlou, a peanut butter like substance (made with argan nuts instead of peanuts). 

Beghrir is the Moroccan version of a pancake, often served with melted butter and honey. 

I love harira, bright red and very filling soup.

This is just one type of tajine--there are hundreds. I eat tajine almost every night for dinner! The meat and vegetables cook for hours in the clay tajine. 

This is one variety of cous cous, made with chicken, cinammon and almonds.

I eat cous cous that looks almost exactly like this every Friday! The family gathers around and uses spoons or hands to eat from the same plate. 

Pastilla is a pastry made from philo dough--in the past, it contained pigeon meat. Unfortunately I have yet to try that, but I have had it with fish and noodles or chicken and almonds. 

Rafeesa is probably my favorite Moroccan dish. It's made of raifa, the crepe-like tortilla mentioned above, and a sauce of lentils and saffron is poured over it. 

Chebeckia is a sesame sweet that I've become quite addicted to. I get it every time I go to the Medina and I think the store owners have started to recognize me. It's especially delicious served warm. 

And finally, no post on Moroccan food would be complete without a nod to mint tea, or atay b nana! I'm a little horrified that I didn't like this tea at first, because now I can't imagine going a day without drinking at least one cup. It's served steaming hot but the mint flavor is refreshing. 

With all this awesome food and a nation full of mothers who never stop encouraging me to eat "kooli, Catheirne, kooli," I guess it's no surprise that I'm a bit flufflier (as another YES student put it) after this year. But I wouldn't trade the meals I have shared (or the interactions with the people I have shared food with), for anything! I have exactly three more months to eat all the Moroccan food I can handle and to share all the "American" food that I can with my host family and friends! Until next time!