Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SEXY SEKSU
Berbers call it
seksu, New York Times
food critic Craig Claiborne called it one of the dozen best dishes
in the world, and when you're in Morocco, you can call couscous lunch. You know that yellowish
stuff that comes in a box, with directions on the side instructing you to add boiling water and let stand
for three minutes? That doesn't count. What Moroccans call couscous is a fine, pale, grain-sized,
hand-rolled pasta lightly steamed with aromatic broth until toothsome and fluffy, served with a selec-
tion of vegetables and/or meat or fish in a delicately flavoured reduction of stock and spices.
Since preparing and digesting a proper couscous takes a while, Moroccans usually enjoy it on Fri-
days, when many have the day or the afternoon off after Friday prayers. Couscous isn't a simple side
dish but rather the main event of a Moroccan Friday lunch, whether tricked out Casablanca-style with
seven vegetables, heaped with lamb and vegetables in Fez, or served with tomatoes, fish and fresh
herbs in Essaouira. Many delicious couscous dishes come without meat, including the pumpkin
couscous of Marrakesh and a simple yet savoury High Atlas version with stewed onions. But scrupu-
lous vegetarians will want to enquire in advance whether that hearty stock is indeed vegetarian. Some-
times a couscous dish can be ordered à la carte, but usually it's a centrepiece of a multicourse lunch or
celebratory
diffa -
and when you get a mouthful of the stuff done properly, you'll see why.
El-Ghda (Lunch)
Lunch is traditionally the biggest meal of the day in Morocco, followed by a nice nap
through the heat of the day. The lunch hour here is really a three- to four-hour stretch from
noon to 3pm or 4pm, when most shops and facilities are closed, apart from a few stores
catering to tourists.
For speed eaters this may seem inconvenient, but especially in summer it's best to do as
the locals do, and treat lunchtime as precious downtime. Tuck into a tajine, served à la
carte with crusty bread, or upgrade to a
prix fixe
(three-course restaurant lunch). After-
wards, you'll have a whole new appreciation for mint tea and afternoon naps.
Snak Attack
If you're still digesting your lavish guesthouse breakfast come lunchtime, try one of the
many
snak
s (kiosks) and small restaurants offering lighter fare - just look for people
clustered around sidewalk kiosks, or a sign or awning with the word
snak
. Many hard-
working locals do not take afternoon siestas, and instead eat sandwiches on the go. At the
risk of stating the obvious, always join the queue at the one thronged with locals: Moroc-
cans are picky about their
snak
s, preferring the cleanest establishments that use the
freshest ingredients.
Here's what you'll find on offer
:
