Mimouna is coming
Even though I am not a Moroccan I look forward to this celebration every year. It is special and unique because it brings people together in true celebration of life. If you have never heard of Mimouna, then click on over to http://www.jafi.org.il/education/festivls/Pesach/m2.html for an explanation of the celebration.
My interest is in the food that is served because it is the central theme of Mimouna. What can one expect to find on a table in a Moroccan home on Mimouna? Without doubt there will be mufleta. Now don’t confuse this with muffaleta, the bread, you’ll find in New Orleans. Mufleta is more like a crepe, smeared with butter and slathered in honey. Besides them being delicious the big deal about Mufleta is that for eight days no bread, only matzot, has been eaten in a home that keeps Pesach. So the eating of Mufleta, which contains yeast, is a sign that Pesach is over.
Here is a list of some of the foods you would find on a Mimouna table.
1) Live fish – placed on a plate with a bed of lettuce and vegetables.
2) A plate of flour – decorated with seven green bean pods.
3) A tray of flour – scattered within it are seven gold coins and in its center a full cup of oil.
4) Milk jugs – around them are lettuce and vegetables.
5) Sheaves of grain – scattered on the table.
6) Trays of fruit – oranges, apples, almonds and nuts.
7) Honey and butter wafers.
Zaben – white almond nougat.
9) Marozia – fried raisins decorated with nuts.
10) Mazun – jam made from grapefruit, oranges, turnips, carrots and beets.
11) Dates – stuffed with nuts and marzipan.
12) Mufleta – crepes dipped in honey and butter.
You probably noticed how many of those foods are sweet, but may wonder why. Sweets are not just tasty, but also are a sign of the prosperity the Jews began to enjoy once they were freed from slavery in Egypt. Mimouna in my opinion is the celebration of the sweet taste of freedom. Now who in the world cannot understand that?
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Filed under: Moroccan food, Morocco, authentic Moroccan recipes, moroccan recipes
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