Morocco

We took a short little trip to Morocco in our living room this last weekend. It was so much fun to get to take a glimpse into there lifestyle and food. For those who don't know, Morocco is located in Africa. We learned a bit about proper customs and how to act.

Moroccans eat three meals a day, the main meal being around mid-day. Eating with your hands is a tradition. You must eat only with your right hand and using the thumb and first two fingers. Using more fingers is a sign of gluttony. We made sure we were not showing any signs of gluttony while we ate. The left hand may only be used for picking up bread or passing dishes to other people.

 Speaking of bread, you may never help yourself to bread. You must wait until it is given to you. We learned that if more than one person apportions the bread at the table, the house will beset in quarreling.

Bread is very important in there culture. They eat bread with every meal. It is used to mop up sauces an clean your plate. It can also be used as a vessel at times too. We must also not lick our fingers until the end of a meal. We can use the bread or a napkin to wipe them during the meal if needed.

For our meal we made a yummy Moroccan flatbread. It was delicious.
Recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/my-rough-khoubz-moroccan-flat-bread-137111

They typically will bring a basin to the table so you can wash your hands before the meal. They like to use rose or orange scented water. We did wash our hands before hand, but we did not bring it to the table.
 We also learned that women do not typically sit with the family during meals unless female visitors are present. We made an exception for this night, and I did indeed eat with Glenn and Johnathan.

Most cultures have something they say before the precede to eat. In Morocco, they say Bismillah. It is the name of Allah. Everyone repeats this word and eating commences.

For our meal I made some Chicken Marrakesh. It was do delicious. I will be making this yummy meal again. It has sweet potatoes, carrots, garbanzo beans, chicken, tomatoes, and different seasonings that tie this dish together. And yes, we did eat it with our hands. Next time, I think I will just use a fork.
Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/218769/slow-cooker-chicken-marrakesh/print/?recipeType=Recipe&servings=8

We sat on the floor around our coffee table and enjoyed this delicious meal. We then finished the meal off with some mint tea. Mint tea is kind of a big deal in Morocco. It is also very refreshing after the meal. For desert we had pineapple. It is common to have fruit as a desert. They do have some sweet food recipes; however, fruit is what is custom to have at an end of a meal.

For some sources to surviving a dinner with Moroccans:

• 7 Do's and Don'ts
• Eating with a Moroccan family
• Morocco Etiquette

Glenn also took some time to teach us about some customs and traditions in Morocco. He taught us about gift giving. Some interested facts is a man must not give a gift to a woman. Also, don't admire anything in there home, they may end up gifting it to you in the future.

For some more info on some of there traditions and customs:

•  http://www.morocco.com/culture/
•  https://www.journeybeyondtravel.com/blog/morocco-traditions.html
•  http://www.moroccan-moments.com/culture/
•  http://www.cloud9living.com/blog/gifting-honor-moroccan-gift-giving-101/

We had so much fun and maybe one day we will get to visit the real deal!

Join us next month as we visit Russia!!