When people ask me on the road “Where are you from?” (sometimes before even asking for my name), I say “Israel.” On the other hand, when I am in Israel and people ask me “What are you?” I say “Moroccan.” And you probably wonder why. Israel, like the USA (we lived there 10 years), is consist of many cultures. Though we all may be Jews, we all came from different regions of the world. Basically, you have two main streams of cultures: the Sephardic and Ashkenazi. The Sephardic are all those people with darker skin color and from Mediterranean countries, such as Morocco. The Ashkenazi people have lighter skin color and sometime lighter hair and are from European countries such as UK. Some new generations are mixed with each parent from different stream. As for me, I am pure Sephardic. My dad from Syria and my mom from Morocco. And since I am feel more connected to my Moroccan side, I am defining myself as Moroccan. I hope I did not confused you and make you think I am weird (maybe I am regardless).
As a person that regard himself as a Moroccan, a visit to Morocco is a must. Don’t you agree? Like I wrote our Nomadic Family Travel Blog about Morocco, I am planning to take my parents to a root journey to visit Morocco. This trip is way in the future and it will happen.
I find the Moroccan culture and the food fascinating. I had grew and raised according to all Moroccan traditions. There is no appropriate Moroccan feast without good spicy cooked fish and Cuscus. For those who is not familiar with cuscus, it is a North African dish of semolina traditionally served with a meat or vegetable stew spooned over it. Couscous is a common food throughout Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya.
Upon arriving to Morocco some day, I will make sure to visit the local markets all around. The great smells of all the spices and the herbs fills my soul with joy. If I haven’t mentioned before, I love cooking and of course, I love eating, especially Moroccan food.
Morocco has a lot to over its visitors and I will see as much as possible.
Tanneries in Fes – Fes is famous for its leather products and most of them come from the leather bazaar (souq or market) in old Fes. The tanneries have been in operation since medieval times and little has changed, which makes them absolutely fascinating to visit.
The Blue Streets of Chefchaouen – Chefchaouen is situated in the heart of Morocco’s Rif Mountains. Chefchaouen (sometimes called Chaouen) is relaxed, with very affordable accommodations, and above all, quite stunning to look at. The streets and most of the buildings in the old part of town (medina) are painted a most brilliant sky blue.
Learn To Cook Traditional Moroccan Food – The cuisine of Morocco has been influenced by native Berber cuisine, Arabic Andalusian cuisine, Turkish cuisine, and Middle Eastern cuisine brought by the Arabs. French influence came later and the fusion between traditional Moroccan and French cuisine is at the heart of many of the fine-dining experiences in Morocco today. Several Riads offer cooking classes in Marrakech, Fes and Essaouira.
And beside the various tourist attraction that Morocco has to offer, I must go see where my mom was born and raised. Like I took my kids to the same flat I spent all my young years, I would love to see the same about my mother. I will make sure to visit Holiday Hypermarket for good deals.
And as I always tell my kids “Family comes first!”
