Xubz is instrumental to Moroccan cuisine; it is found at all four meals and is consumed at a voracious rate. The Moroccan government understands its people’s great appetite for bread and heavily subsidizes the cereal industry, an industry that imports 56% (Economist) of its product. This subsidization keeps bread prices very low throughout Morocco. On average, you can find bread for sale for one or two dirham (12 to 23 cents) per loaf. Loaves are round, flat, crusty disks, an inch or two thick and ranging in diameter from eight to 14 inches. They can be bought at a local shop or baked in a communal, dome shaped, mud oven. Traditionally the bread Moroccans cooked was whole wheat, but recently there has been a shift towards white bread and many consider wheat bread to be the stuff of ‘poor’ people.
In a country where silverware is not traditionally used or owned, bread serves as the means by which food is taken from the central, communal dish and transferred to eagerly awaiting mouths. Every eater has a style particular unto himself, but for the most part, the process is as follows: Each diner receives a chunk of bread, about the size of a hand, from which he will tear off a smaller piece, the size of which varies according to preference. The index and middle fingers hold this piece and food from the main dish is pinched between it and the thumb. This tiny, open-faced sandwich is then brought to the mouth and eaten whole, save the fingers. Another piece of bread is torn off the chunk and the process is repeated. It is not uncommon for a diner to use multiple chunks of bread in one meal, and these chunks can sometimes add up to almost a whole loaf. All manner of food is eaten this way: scrambled eggs, cooked vegetables, olives, olive oil, meat, butter, chocolate, French fries, etc. The only foods commonly eaten without bread are fruits, which are generally considered as dessert foods.
One result of this rapacious appetite for bread, and other carbohydrate and sugar-high foods, is a high prevalence of diabetes in Morocco. In 2006, 10% (IDF) of the Moroccan population was diagnosed with diabetes compared with 7.7% (CDC) in the US. Another 2.2% (CDC) of Americans are estimated to be undiagnosed and we can infer, due to lack of education, medical training and facilities, etc, that the undiagnosed rate in Morocco is much higher. According to Peace Corps health volunteers, convincing Moroccans that bread, while not sweet, will turn into sugar in their bloodstream and eventually cause diabetes is an arduous task.
Ed’s note: A more developed discourse on diabetes in Morocco is forthcoming.
A meal without bread is a meal unfinished; indeed, a meal without bread is not a meal at all. Whether used for sopping up olive oil during kaskrut or tearing apart a piece of chicken in a tajine, xubz is the central tool and staple in any Moroccan’s diet. Most would prefer bread without anything to anything without bread. As a friend of mine put it recently, “If you want to keep the Moroccans happy, make sure we have our bread.”
CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov
Economist: The Economist Magazine. www.economist.com
IDF: International Diabetes Federation. www.idf.org
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