Ramadan observations from Fez

As Ramadan draws to a close, spare a thought for the one group of Moroccans for whom Ramadan is especially difficult- cooks! Imagine you are working in the kitchen of a hotel, or guest house where foreigners are staying and every day from 7 in the morning you have to prepare food and serve it to tourists.

Apart from the entire business of watching others eat while you are fasting, there is the added problem of not being able to do the one thing every chef relies upon - tasting the food. Is there enough salt, pepper, cumin? Should there be a dash more red wine in the Coq au Vin?

And wine and beer of course are another issue. While all good Moslems abstain (well most of them) - everyone, almost without exception, refrains during Ramadan - yet here we have table loads of French, English and Dutch tourists, eating and drinking but also - smoking!

It has been interesting in Fez to watch the tourists who are respectful, going to the very back of restaurants so that their eating, drinking and smoking can not be seen from the street. There have been exceptions. One feral couple, dressed in flesh and breast revealing clothing, squatting on the curb, munching on a sandwich and coke, cigarettes in hand. Not respectful.

There are only a few days left of Ramadan, so please, if you are in an Islamic country - try a little respect.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news