Eating Habits

Eating Habits: Some Moroccan Eating Habits

1.Introduction

The eating patterns of social conduct are governed by some norms which may be social or religious. For this reason, they differ from one community to another. If we take, for instance, the eating habits of Hart Elmourabitine, Tinghir in Morocco, we will find that they are controlled and directed by the norms mentioned above. To demonstrate this, their eating habits will be exposed in what follows.

2. Some Eating Rules

At the beginning of every meal, the first thing which must be done is to clean the hands, and to name Allah when start eating the food. The right hand is used to eat the food because it is believe that the left one is only used by the devil, and all bad things are performed by it. If the left hand is used, God’s blessings (lbaraka) will not exist in the food eaten by it. While the food is being eaten, every one must eat what exists in front of him, and laughing must be avoided so as not to dirt the food. If some pieces of the food fall down, they must be taken in order not to be eaten by the devil. A person who finishes eating the food before others must say “allah yaqbal” which means this food will be accepted as charity (sadaqa) by Allah, and it will be blessed. But, the others reply to him using this expression: “akinfa3”, which means this food, will be beneficial and healthful to you. In addition to this, they eat all the meals together because they believe that there is no God’s blessing (lbaraka) in the food eaten alone.

3. dos and don'ts in a meal of Couscous

If a meal is couscous, they prefer to eat it using the hand instead of using the spoon because they think that this latter is the hand of the devil, and God’s blessings will not exist in the food eaten by it. They also believe that if a person eats only five morsels (lәqmat) using the hand, he will be full. When they finish eating couscous, no piece must be left in the dish, and the hand by which couscous is eaten must be licked because God’s blessings may exist in remains of this food.
In addition, there is a kind of couscous eaten every year on the first Muharam, which is the first day of the new lunar year. This couscous is called “sbaa khdayr” because it consists of all the vegetables and the fruits eaten through the year. A date kernel is put inside it. A person who finds this date kernel while eating is believed to be blessed person (ambark) for the year, because there is God’s blessing in it.

BY: ABDELMAJID YAQOUBY