Week 6: Ahouli + Moroccan Cuisine

This week was a normal week staying with my host family outside of Midelt. Sanders and I would spend our days working at the family apple warehouse in the morning and then spending the afternoon/evening hanging out in the area at the park or pool. At the park this week I got to see some fun animals. I saw a large jack rabbit with BIG ears, I think a tortoise because it was nowhere near water, and some type of lizard, maybe a chameleon. One night this week Sanders and I decided to cook dinner for our host mom and dad. We made some roasted veggies and introduced them to hummus. I have to say the hummus turned out bangin and I actually think they enjoyed it as well. I am hoping to be able to make it again this upcoming week because it is a good snack and a good way for me to get in some protein as a vegetarian.

Over the weekend we had the opportunity to visit Ahouli, an old mining town in the mountains. Mining is a big industry in the area and we were able to walk into an old mine a little ways (not too far because it was honestly pretty spooky). We also saw old worker barracks and investigated the river running through the town – and watched turtles eat watermelon rinds. We visited with our host brother and one of his friends and we spent time a chunk of time just wandering around the town, exploring and taking photos.

Since this week was an average week without anything too exciting to write about, I wanted to take some time to talk about Moroccan cuisine and what we are eating on a daily basis. First, mint tea is very big in this culture. We always have it for breakfast and usually have it with a snack in the early evening, sometimes more. Here is an average day of eating with this host family:

Breakfast: Usually around 9:30 a.m. We often have the typical traditional Moroccan bread that is round and flat that we eat with other meals with jam or olive oil. Or we have another type of Moroccan breakfast bread, Milwi (my favorite). Some mornings she also makes eggs which I do not eat because I personally am not a fan of eggs.

Lunch: Typically, between 2-3 p.m. Most days this is tajine, a famous traditional dish in Morocco. It is basically a stew with vegetables (potatoes, carrots, green beans, okra) and some type of meat. The name tajine comes from the type of cookware it is made in. To eat tajine, you use your hands and bread. On Fridays for lunch every week they serve Moroccan couscous.

Dinner: Between 10-11 p.m. Usually dinner is a lighter meal than lunch. Most often it is some type of soup.

To end this blog I have some sad news. Sanders left yesterday because she is only doing the two-month program and she is spending her last week touring with her mom who is coming to visit Morocco. I will be staying with this host family until August 10th, so my last 10 days here will be without her. With communication with the parents being so difficult, it was very nice to have Sanders here as someone I could communicate easily with and talk to things about as they come up. It will be an adjustment, but as IFYE tells you, you have to be flexible and roll with the punches.