Max’s Kitchen: Live and Active Cultures

A walking tour by the nose

15 Nov 2009 / Food 3 Comments

A smell map of the medina:

Out and about in the morning, you are greeted with the wafting scents of
-the ferran, or communal bread oven, rotting vegetables, dirty dog, sheep bones, wet sidewalk, roof drippings, fog
damp leather, harcha, hot griddle, cats, tobacco, msemen, last night’s garbage, bleach and detergent, drying flowers, fresh fish, old oil, olives, deisel, rotted fish, carboard, croissants, nag champa incense, mint tea, goat, woven baskets, rubber

Like a fine wine, the medina’s complexity unfolds in silken layers and power chords. After decanting, the most incredible transformation takes place at night. Close your eyes and let your nostrils lead you through
-Cinnamon, drying laundry, putrid vegetables, roasted nuts and propane, kefta, cumin, brown butter, hot oil, fried fish, cow feet, raw meat, roasted chestnuts, hashish, fresh dates, not-so-fresh fish, nougat, kettle-cooked popcorn, sugarcane juice, burned plastic, persimmon and pomegranate, sweat, escargot soup, marjoram, hot khobz, coconut, fluorescent lights, chickpeas and fava beans, motorcycle exhaust, mint, sage, parsley, chebekia, charcoal from the canoun, baghir, caremelized onions, boiled cow and sheep’s heads, used clothes

If only we had time to visit the labyrinth of sidestreets and alcoves…

Posted by admin @ 7:00 am