Moroccan Old Oven
Oct
17
Written by:
10/17/2010 10:27 AM
Baking bread in rural Morocco
In rural Morocco where locals often can’t afford to buy butane tanks there is an alternative to owning a professional gas oven.
As has been the tradition for centuries, Moroccans make their own ovens using mud in southern Morocco, these are called "Tafarnut". Typically positioned in an open outdoor area, this oven is an igloo-shaped clay structure. The oven is split in two parts, with one section using charcoal embers and small locally collected sticks and chips to create heat. The rest of oven is used to cook bread. When the oven reaches the desired temperature, rounds of dough are divided into small pieces and patted into flat ovals. These are placed inside the oven using a flat wooden tool like a fork.
Since heating the oven takes time and requires fuel, the locals have found a way to conserve energy. Each family in the village take their turn to fire up their oven, and in the early evening word spreads around the village about who’s family oven will be used for baking that particular evening. In most villages, the locals take this opportunity to catch up with friends and neighbors and exchange stories while the bread is cooking. The owner of the oven will also typically make a large pot of tea for everyone to enjoy during this time.
Tafarnut helps warm up the house in winter, and as the picture below shows,the object placed in top of oven is filled with water, and it is used to heat up water for tea as well.
Moroccan Oven