MOOD FOR MOROCCO

Moroccan pastries

Having discovered Africa, I thought few things in my life would be nearly as exotic as that, especially in a place like Brussels. How different can Belgium be from Poland? And even though I'm still not sure about Belgium, I already know that there is something amazingly new in stock for me in Brussels. For here I am, in the heart of Europe, getting to know the ways of... Morocco. Strange? Not if you think that 20% of people in Brussels come straight from Morocco or were born into a family of Moroccan immigrants. And so, I give you my Subjective Quick Guide to Moroccan Pleasures. Enjoy!

Tea - the ultimate drink

Throughout my life, I have drunk a lot of tea. But there is nothing, nothing like Moroccan mint tea. Of course, alcohol being off limits, it's not surprising that something tasty to replace it be invented. However, Moroccan tea is not the next best thing - it's better! It's very simple to prepare: green tea, fresh mint and a generous amount of sugar. It goes with everything from breakfast till dinner, it can even act as a refreshing beverage on a hiking trip. Only drawback - calories. Frankly, I've stopped caring. Note: the tea is best when drank in a Moroccan tea room. Be careful, however, as women typically stay away from such places, and even though this rule does not apply to Western women, it's always better to come with your man. Sexist as it may seem, it might save you very curious (not to say "hostile") looks from the usual tea room crowd, consisting of middle-aged men in long frocks.

La crèpe marrocaine - as good as it gets

Moroccan pancakes

I have already mentioned in one of my previous entries that the famous Marché du Midi has introduced us to one of the world's perfect dishes: the Moroccan pancake. It is not a typical pancake (the dough is not sweet) but what they call semen (really, no pun intended!). It is made right in the middle of the market, behind a big olives stand. Just localise the stand and take your place in the long queue (don't get discouraged, it will advance very quickly). I always ask for the simple combination of honey and Moroccan cottage cheese, which really is something to look forward to at the end of the week (Marché du Midi springs to life only once a week: on Sundays). But you can put anything in your pancake - from olives to pickled artichokes to dried tomatoes, together with the omnipresent cheese and honey. So good!

Moroccan pastries - the word is "yummy!"
Have you ever entered a Moroccan bakery? I bet you couldn't take your eyes off the colourful, artistically shaped pastries, whose main ingredients include such delicacies as almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts and dried fruit. Each bakery typically offers several types of such cakes, and displays them proudly in their window, in neat stacks, which somehow look absolutely irresistible. Again, full of calories, which maybe explains why so many Moroccan women are plump under their loose frocks... But who cares! As far as I'm concerned, keep the pastries coming!

Molenbeek

Markets - live from Morocco
 We have recently stumbled upon yet another market (Brussels is virtually full of them). If we had thought that Marché du Midi was full of Moroccan people, crowded and noisy, our new discovery proved us wrong. Once you get used to the familiar hustle and bustle of Midi, make sure to visit Molenbeek. Just walk towards the canal from the central Bourse area, and watch the shopping windows change along the way. Posh clothes shops become cheap kebab restaurants, elegant drink bars turn into buy one get one for free shops. Europeans disappear from the busy streets. This is the neighbourhood of women dressed in African pagne, women in veils, a quartier of different standards. Cross the canal and enter the huge market, a buzzing street, where you can buy Moroccan clothes and fabrics, tea pots and about anything you might need. Hungry? No problem: all along the market street thare are several stands with grilled meat and fish, accompanied by tea and sweets. Working language: Arabic. Of course, people might stare. But so what - that's the closest I've been to Africa in months!

And there is only one problem. Now I simply must go Morocco!