The Slow Death of Morocco's Cuisine and Community

While others (whom I respect) have described as heartwarming the New York Times' recent article on Assilah and the role of the community oven (ferrane) as a foundation of Moroccan cooking and a center of community life, I found the article rather poignant. Unlike many places in the world, in Morocco it is still possible to find communities that bake their bread (Khubz) — a staple of Moroccan cuisine — in a community oven, an institution which &mdash like communal steam baths (hammam) knits communities together. In addition, farmers sell fresh produce in the souks, and chickens are bought freshly slaughtered from the butcher. As a friend of mine put it, in Morocco, it's all organic food. The Times, however, notes an ominous trend toward factory farming, mass production of food, and supermarkets, at least in the larger cities. In light of our soil-exhausting monocultures and the cruel overcrowding and massive doses of hormones and antibiotics to which we subject our livestock in the United States, I am seriously skeptical that Morocco will gain by following our example. Would anyone say that Americans eat better than Moroccans? Thought not.