Two Wives One Restaurant

Although I was often told that men did not generally take extra wives any longer because of the expense and emotional conflict, I did see an example of a husband and two wives in the souk in Fez.

Our guide Saida told us:

"The best Moroccan food comes out of our own kitchens, not from the restaurants. I am going to take you to a tiny restaurant in the medina run by an old Fassian man and his two wives. The older wife, 'the first wife', works in the kitchen; the younger one serves the dishes. I was raised near here and this is my favorite food."

The three of us crowded into a tiny hole in the wall (actually!) and the owner, a small wizened smiling man, brought us bottled water and olives served with elastic thin wholewheat bread. Soon his young, tall, powerfully-built second wife began to serve us: fresh young fava beans, spinach with exotic seasonings (maybe fenugreek?), keftka meatballs of ground mutton steamed with poached eggs and paprika, the best french fries I've ever had anywhere, served with tomato harissa, pigeon couscous, delicate little tea cookies made with smen, and perfect mint tea heated over a small coal brazier.

 At the end of the meal the first wife, with great dignity, stepped from the kitchen wearing a starched and immaculate white apron. We felt like clapping. This was the best meal of the entire trip because the seasoning was flawless, the produce of the highest quallity, the setting so wonderfully haphazard and intimate. Around us sat Arab men who must not have had even one wife at home`to cook their main meal of the day.

Susan

Comments

[Andrys]

Susan,
Wonderful stuff re the Evil Eye and the subtleties of the actual beliefs not read in your everyday press these days.

As for 2+ wives. Went to Turkey in 2004 for 4 weeks and it's still not uncommon there when the guys can afford it :-) In our case we saw "families" of these eating out. Usually one guy and 3+ women, usually all looking very at ease with it all. Someone to share all those duties with I guess.