At restaurants and at home, I noticed how meals were a time for people to connect and relax together.
Everywhere I turned in the medina, the old market area or city center, I’d see food stalls selling delicious snacks of pastries, fruits and other finger foods.
Unlike Switzerland, food in Morocco is very affordable. This meant I could try a variety of local dishes without spending too much money, and who doesn’t love that!
As someone who doesn’t usually enjoy cheese, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked Swiss fondue. The cheese here is exceptionally fresh and full of flavor, unlike anything I’ve tried before. I also got to learn about the Swiss culture through this meal, especially the light-hearted tradition that if you drop your bread into the cheese, you have to buy wine for the table or do other silly things.
While trying Moroccan food, I felt welcomed and at home; the hospitality was something I could relate to culturally. Each meal, whether it was couscous or tagine, tasted like home-cooked food, warm and shared together. Moroccan tea time quickly became one of my favorite parts of the day, as it allowed me to relax and connect with my host family.
Walking through medina markets reminded me of the local markets back home in Rwanda. It made me feel nostalgic about all the amazing food that exists in Africa, and helped me to see how different cuisines in Africa morph into each other, creating similar food but with a unique tase in each country. For example, the mesmen pancake reminded me so much of chapati in Rwanda, but it tasted slightly different.
