Meal Culture: Tajine

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  Throughout these past few days, I have enjoyed our traditional Moroccan Tajine! It is always such a surprise when they open the top and we have to try to figure out what is in the dish. I also love how the dish allows all of us to be so communal! 

    Tajines are a traditional North African dish. They were originally the Berber’s (the first inhabitants of this area) dish. However, as invaders began to come into the area, the dish began to mesh all of the flavors and ingredients of the various new inhabitants (Frendo). Daniela Frendo, stated, “Arab and Moorish were the primary source of many ingredient’s used in today’s Tajines…”(2015). Frendo went further to state that the Berber’s often decided what their tajine would consist of based on their livestock (2015). 

The tajine in Morocco represents community, history, and culture. They take great pride in sharing the dish with everyone. I have loved the conversations the meals have brought and watching everyone around the table enjoying the company! I do not think that there is any traditional American meal that holds the same community as the tajine. I do believe that mealtimes in American cultures represent a social time, but not to the same degree. I have found such an appreciation in taking the time to sit and eat my meal, drink some tea, and truly take a moment to relax. I hope to be able to share this value with my friends and family when I get home! 





https://epicureandculture.com/tajine/ 

Comments

  1. Catrina ChamberlainMay 20, 2022 at 1:08 AM

    I love that you decided to talk about tajines. They have been my favorite so far. I enjoy how casual the tajine dish is, and you can seen them almost everywhere. The only thing I can think of that is semi close to how the tajine dish brings people together and eat communal is a seafood boil; however, some people do not eat seafood or do not like it. "They are two national dishes that take great advantages from the strong Andalusian, Jewish’s influence and from the natural bounty," (Mustafa). I found the influence interesting, but loved the fact.

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