Tissa Horse Festival 2011 ~ Photo Essay

The View from Fez team arrived in Tissa in the early morning. Festivities and competition was not due to start until around 9.30 am, so we spent time chatting with locals and checking out the magnificent horses as they were prepared for the big event - the Fantasia.

Photo: Sandy McCutcheon

In the hours before the competition began, the contestants and their mounts were extremely busy. Every last detail of equipment was checked, saddles made ready and the rifles, that play such a dramatic part in the event, were loaded and discharged.

There was also a fair bit of horse-trading, with good horses selling for between 4000 and 9000 Euro.

The care with which the horses and equipment were treated was also extended to the riders, with barbers tents set up and offering haircuts and shaves.

After grooming the horses, the various teams assembled and spent the last half hour before competition, polishing and dusting every surface on the equipment and their own outfit. Then it was into the arena for a drill session. This was mostly about formation riding and not firing their rifles.

The Tissa Horse Festival re-lives Morocco's rich and often war-like history. It's still extremely daunting to see a line of warriors dressed in white charging straight towards you on their spirited Arab stallions. Stopping within centimetres of the wooden fence at the finish, they fire muzzle loaded rifles in a deafening volley. On occasion a horse can't be restrained and breaks through.

While the Tissa Horse Festival is held in honour of a local patron saint, a fifteenth century Holy man, called Sidi Muhammad ben Lahcen, the displays of skilled horsemanship are primarily about speed, team work, discipline and manoeuvrability.

Teams are judged by officials who watch from in front and on both sides. The criteria involved includes the neatness of the formation as it charges, the ability to charge right up to the fence at the end of the field and the discharging of the rifles in unison.  It was an extraordinary event that thrilled the more than four thousand spectators.

There is no doubting the skills involved in this "sport" - and no way of avoiding the fact that is also dangerous. There were several minor spills, cuts and bruises during the morning events, but, thankfully, only one serious incident in which a horse fell and crushed the rider beneath him. What was so impressive was the speed in which first aid was available. It was no more than five seconds after the accident before the ambulance officer sprinted assist. The injured man was transported to hospital and his condition was not serious.

By the middle of the day, the competition was over and the teams paraded in front of the official tents. It was good news for the local team, who took out the first prize, closely followed by the horsemen of Fez.

Click images to enlarge

Photographs by Suzanna Clarke and Sandy McCutcheon

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Making traditional Moroccan couscous

Recently two of The View from Fez team took part in a traditional couscous preparation course. Australia's legendary young chef, Katerina Annels, has kindly done a review for us. Suzanna Clarke took the photographs. Here is Katerina's report...

Mmmm, couscous, one of those lovely intangible things. When I am told that we are going to a traditional couscous class I am delighted. But when can I use this skill? I imagine a process like making fresh pasta, hours spent over the dough. Undoubtedly worth the effort, but a somewhat daunting experience and hardly commercially viable.

We wind our way to café clock. spiral past the kitchens, dining rooms and up on to the terrace, with views across the Medina and I am told, the best camel burger in Fez.

In the corner of the terrace is a collection of expats and tourists gathered around a huge pot full of chicken cabbage and spices(see the recipe attached) and emitting the most delightful smells. Amongst this group is Cynthia Berning, a young peace corps volunteer 1 year into her 2 year Morocco contract, and Atika Diouri, President of ENNAHDA (a women’s association, for cultural development, producing traditionally rolled couscous) our teachers.

We start with a coarse wheat flour, wholegrain is the best (it creates a wonderful nutty flavour to the couscous) placed in a large, flat, glazed ceramic tray. A light sprinkle of water (too much will make the couscous into a dough), and perhaps a pinch of salt. Using the flats of the hands we rub the water into the couscous, those with more practice creating beautiful spiral patterns, as the flour turns to crumbs.

Once the crumbs are formed the couscous is pasted through a course sieve, a little more flour (finer this time) is added to the crumbs too large to fit through the sieve, and remixed until they to pass through.

Next the couscous is passed through a fine sieve to remove the flour, more water is added to the flour, and the above process is repeated until all the flour is transformed in to little balls neatly sized between the two sieves (the more uniform you wish your couscous to be, the closer in size you make your two sieves).

The couscous class

Once all the couscous has passed through both sieves it is ready to stream, we steam for approximately 20 mins, over the sauce and without a lid. Don’t worry about the holes in the steamer; any couscous that falls through will simply thicken your sauce. After approximately 20min the couscous will begin to pull away from the edge of the steamer, this is the sign that your couscous is ready for the first fluff.

The important stuff!

Couscous is very "hands-on"

Atika fluffs the couscous with her bare hands, first pushing the couscous apart, then very lightly and gently rubbing it between her hands to separate the grains. The rest of us look on with various degrees of horror imagining the steam scalding delicate hands and fingers. She waits, fingers unscathed, as Cynthia explains that at this point you can dry the couscous, laying it flat in the sun, till it is darker and dry.

If you’re not drying your couscous but wish to eat it, it’s time to add more water, sprinkling and mixing as we did earlier. You can add water more liberally now that the wheat is cooked it is less likely to turn to dough, however do it gradually as you want moist not sodden couscous. Once fluffed and moistened place your couscous back in the steamer and steam until it yet again pulls away from the side of the streamer, approximately 20 min.

Once again we fluff and moisten the couscous, this time adding a little oil and salt. Then its back in the steamer, one last time.  And suddenly there it is

Delicious hand rolled couscous, soft, slightly chewy, irregular, nutty and utterly delicious. This is the real deal. It’s as different from the dried couscous and cheddar is from brie.

Variations include adding dried herbs, salt and spices or using a different base flour, semolina, barley and corn flour to name just a few.

Can I see myself making this? Yes, yes and one thousand times yes, this is the real deal, I am delighted at the thought of bringing out a dish of fresh made couscous to a table full of patrons, who think they know what couscous is (as I did) and watching their faces melt as they saver the taste.

Perhaps you are lucky and have grown up with this, wondering at my amazement. But perhaps you are enthralled and wish to try? By all means do it at home, it’s far easier than you imagine. But if you want a little more guidance, or an adventure, Cafe Clock runs half day couscous rolling workshops, you can also do a full day course with the women from ENNAHDA including a home stay in Khoukhat. Khoukhat, 2.5 hours south of Fez, is known as the valley of 7 springs. El Karma spring, the fig spring, is considered the life blood of the village, and it is after this spring that the women of ENNAHDA have branded their couscous, made and dried as listed above.

If you wish to try handmade couscous but without the effort, you can contact them direct (en.associationennahda.org ) or buy through Cafe Clock, the cost is approximately 20 dirhams/kg

The real deal.... great couscous!

The View from Fez would like to thank Kat for her report and for her amazing cooking while in Fez. See also : More on traditional couscous

The Kat in her natural environment!

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Traditional Berber Bread Making

In the tiny Berber village of Tassa Ouirgane in the High Atlas mountains, The View from Fez team learned how to make tanort, a traditional Berber bread. You will find the recipe here - Berber Bread.

First find a takat at the souq (market). These are upside down.

Check it is smooth inside

While the oven heats up (about an hour) prepare the dough.

Take half the dough and shape like a thin pizza

Wet it then press against takat wall.

Then do the same with the rest of the dough

and place it on the other side of the takat.

Cover the takat with a tagine lid to retain heat

After ten minutes it should be ready

Remove the tanourt (bread)

Scrape off any burnt pieces

Finally, serve with olive oil, argan oil or honey
Great with mint tea!

Enjoy!

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