Hello, Morocco!
On May 14, 2016, I landed at the Casablanca airport to begin my adventure in Morocco. It was the start of an intense, immersive, absorbing, and exciting experience; but I did not know it then. There had been very little time between the end of the spring semester at school and the start of the study abroad to prepare myself mentally for what was to come. As a result, I was excited but not overwhelmed when I stepped out of the Casablanca airport.
Our study abroad began that night with a welcome dinner in Rabat, the capital city of Morocco. We walked from our hotel to our restaurant, called Dar Naji, one of the best restaurants in Rabat. This walk through the city’s modern Avenue Mohammad V was our first chance to get a glimpse of the culturally rich cosmopolitan side of Morocco. We saw vendors, beggars, protestors, shoppers, strollers and more – the city was bustling with life on a Sunday evening. I believe that it was this first walk that set the tone for the rest of the trip. I loved Rabat’s openness. It seemed to be welcoming me to Morocco. Of course, I was also jetlagged and tired after the long flights!
Our dinner that night introduced us to Moroccan cuisine. The famous Moroccan mint tea is poured into special Moroccan tea glasses from a height. The brewing and pouring of this tea is an art in itself. The glasses are normally only filled halfway up. The tea was warm, flavorful and delicious! We also ate the pastilla. It is a savory pie filled with chicken or vegetables and often sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, and is mouthwateringly irresistible.
This was followed by the tajines. Tajine is Morocco’s main dish, named after the pot in which it is cooked. The tajine pot consists of a circular earthen base and a tapering coned cover. The dish itself is normally a stew with vegetables like potatoes, carrots, eggplant and olives; and/or different kinds of meats such as lamb, beef or chicken. It is normally eaten with bread. In just a few days in Morocco, we were very well-versed with the ubiquitous tajines.
With the conclusion of our first meal, our stomachs were full and our hearts were bubbling with joy. Our Moroccan adventure had truly begun!