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Virtual Magazine of Morocco on the Web
Morocco Week in Review
December 3 , 2011
The article highlights the history of Zweena, and tells the story of its founder and CEO John Phelan, who began his journey as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, working at a home for boys with Polio.
Read more: http://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/11/11/p2153825/online-phr-provider-zweenahealth-com-featured-in-article-on-mens-health#ixzz1f1CitllV
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MOROCCO: Casablanca's Morocco Mall to join world's best
Author: Petah Marian | 29 November 2011
Casablanca is set to join the ranks of the world’s leading shopping destinations with the opening next week of The Morocco Mall, which boasts 350 stores and covers more than 70,000 square metres.
The centre, which the developers say has already sold 98% of its commercial space, will have the African continent's first Galeries Lafayette and FNAC stores, as well as 40 restaurants, the country's first IMAX theatre and an ice skating rink. The centre will also house a number of Inditex's banners, Gap, New Look and Banana Republic as well as luxury brands including Gucci and Dior.
It said that with the opening of the Morocco Mall on 5 December, some 21,000 indirect jobs and 5,000 direct jobs will be created. The mall is a joint project carried out by the AKSAL and Al Jedaie groups, the companies said the centre will offer a "unique 'retailtainment' experience".
"Morocco Mall is the true essence of a destination mall mixing shopping and leisure. We wanted to go that extra mile, to place ourselves in a new league to traditional shopping centres. Our vision and desire was to offer the people of Casablanca, Moroccans and visitors to the Kingdom a unique and magical place that could be found nowhere else on Earth," said AKSAL chairman Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch.
http://www.just-style.com/news/morocco-mall-to-open-next-week_id112880.aspx
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Morocco Elections - Morocco News Agency: Analysis
Rabat, Morocco (PRWEB) November 29, 2011
The lack of any protests in Morocco based on allegations of voter or official fraud post-election was indicative — as with the 2009 elections — of the transparency with which the process was viewed by citizens and political parties alike, confirming the legitimacy of the elections. The entire process reflected a new high-point for the conduct of elections worldwide, and should be seen as a template for other nations.
The Morocco News Agency (MNA) reports that the International Strategic Studies Association (ISSA) deployed a team of experienced election monitors to key areas throughout the Kingdom of Morocco to monitor the conduct of the November 25, 2011, Parliamentary elections.
These elections followed the guidelines laid down in the new Constitution of the Kingdom of Morocco and approved overwhelmingly by the July 2011 Referendum. The ISSA told the Morocco News Agency that there was considerable evidence of an open and community-driven process in which the following highlights should be noted.
Voter lists had been reviewed and scrutinized to ensure that all eligible voters were recognized and verified. This was exemplified, additionally, by the fact that ISSA researchers in Morocco did not see a single challenge to the electoral lists based on exclusion; nor did the ISSA witness any instance of persons attempting to double-vote. This demonstrated a painstaking attention to ensuring that the underlying fairness of the election was beyond dispute.
"The organization of actual polling day activities was meticulous in detail, ensuring that polling facilities were readily accessible to voters," the ISSA told the Morocco News Agency. "Security was consistent but light; there was no sense of a coercive official presence, but there was sufficient evidence to voters that polling stations would be secure. Within the polling areas, local volunteers ensured that there was a significant sense that this was a process governed at grass roots.
"Moreover, the fact that, without exception, these volunteer polling station officials followed exactly the same procedures for dealing with voters, highlighted the reality that training and documentation for election procedures would be consistent nationally. The Government and the Moroccan monitoring organization, the National Human Rights Council (Conseil national des droits de l’Homme), ensured that election information was available in Arabic, French, and Berber script, in accordance with the provisions of the new Constitution."
The ISSA said that the arrangement of polling station procedures was undertaken to ensure maximum confidentiality and transparency of process. Voter identification was able to be undertaken with efficiency because of the fact that voters had national identification (ID) certificates — which verified that they were, indeed, bona fide citizens — as well as valid and current voter registration numbers.
This combination of voter documents ensured that election officials could readily verify and check off voter participation. Significantly, all voters’ qualifications were checked by two separate officials working from identical local voter registration lists. The process was under the scrutiny of a panel of monitors from the political parties present in every polling room.
The Morocco News Agency says that weather for election day was optimal for full voter participation; temperatures were mild. Voting stations opened at 8am (08:00 GMT) and closed at 7pm (19:00 GMT). Average age of the voter population is young: 57 percent of Morocco’s 13.6-million eligible voters are 35 or younger. Indicative of the importance of the elections to the Moroccan political establishment is that 5,873 candidates from 31 parties were seeking to fill the 395 seats of Parliament; 70 of them earmarked for young and woman candidates.
According to the Morocco News Agency and the ISSA, initial results, as announced by Morocco Interior Minister Taieb Cherqaoui on the evening of November 25, 2011, indicated that voter turnout in the 2011 Parliamentary elections stood at around 45 percent nationwide.
This turnout thus exceeded the 37 percent of the 2007 Parliamentary elections. Data collected and analyzed by the Moroccan Interior Ministry pointed to a building voters’ momentum toward the closing of the elections. Voting started slow. By noontime, voter turnout stood at 11.5 percent. However, by 3 p.m. (15:00 GMT), voter turnout stood at 22.4 percent, and at 5pm (17:00 GMT), voter turnout reached 34 percent. By 7 p.m. (19:00 GMT) when the polling stations closed down, the voters’ turnout stood at 45 percent. Voter turnout, while still below the 50 percent mark, pointed to a growing confidence in the role of Parliament and democracy in charting the nation’s course.
ISSA researchers were able, on a random basis, to monitor the counting of votes at a local level after polling stations closed, says the MNA. Again, under the monitoring of a range of officials from different parties and volunteer management, there was little or no opportunity for, and no evidence of, attempts to interfere with or distort the counting process.
Logistical arrangements for the conduct of the elections by the Morocco Ministry of Interior reflected a painstaking demonstration of the Government’s clear desire to be seen to avoid interference with, or influence over, the processes the ISSA told the Morocco News Agency.
At the same time, however, the Morocco Ministry of Interior ensured that there was at no time any lack of appropriate numbers of ballot papers, ballot boxes, secure voting booths, and processing officials and voter lists. Within this framework, quite apart from the extensive preparations by a large number of public officials, the devotion to preparation and conduct of the polling day activities by volunteers was remarkable for the seriousness with which the process was addressed.
To reiterate, the attention to the preparation of new voter lists for this election, the broad delivery into the populace of secure national ID cards, and the delivery to voters of voter registration cards, coupled with the on-site polling station scrutiny and the physical marking of each voter’s hand with indelible dye after voting, ensured that voting fraud was difficult, if not, in practice, impossible. This reflected an improved level of preparation and security from even the impressively-organized parliamentary election in Morocco in September 2007 and local elections of July 2009.
"Moreover, the lack of any protests based on allegations of voter, or official, fraud post-election was indicative — as with the 2009 elections — of the transparency with which the process was viewed by citizens and political parties alike, confirming the legitimacy of the elections," the ISSA told the Morocco News Agency.
"The entire process reflected a new high-point for the conduct of elections worldwide, and should be seen as a template for other nations. As a result of a review of the pre-election preparations and the conduct of the elections, the ISSA considers the constitutional reform process in Morocco to be of strategic significance." http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/11/prweb8999694.htm
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The first election under Morocco's amended constitution has landed several established candidates in the opposition camp. The victory by Morocco's Justice and Development Party (PJD) in the November 25h legislative elections came as a surprise to few, but many long-time politicians were left out.
The PJD was keen to cover virtually every constituency this time around (91 out of 92) and garnered widespread support judging by the map of constituencies where it triumphed, sometimes by an unprecedented margin.
In a press conference on Sunday (November 27th) at the party's headquarters in Rabat, PJD Secretary-General Abdelilah Benkirane said that despite the victory it was important to remain realistic, given the enormity of the social and economic challenges.
He promised to cut down the number of ministers and to award cabinet positions on merit, adding there would be no question of technocrats being brought in. It is not necessary for his party to get the most important departments, he said.
Benkirane then turned his attention to those who were still sceptical about the direction taken by the party, stressing that the PJD would not touch Moroccans' civil liberties. On the sale of alcohol, for example, he said that the trade was already regulated. He added that his party has no intention of attacking those who drink alcohol or dictating to women what they should wear.
On the economic front, he said the government could not sweep away the problem of unemployment in a single stroke. The PJD promised in its manifesto that it would reduce unemployment by two points, introduce a training fund to help 100,000 young people, and increase the national minimum wage to 3,000 dirhams.
"We need first to get down to the business of stamping out corruption before we can turn our attention to employment," Benkirane said.
The PJD's crushing victory was expected because, as he explained, the Moroccan people simply voted for change. "It comes as no surprise to us, and our victory was widely deserved," Benkirane told Magharebia after Saturday's announcement of the provisional results by the interior ministry.
"On the whole, the results were no surprise, given the increased turnout and the highly charged regional context in which the elections took place," commented Nabil Benabdallah, the secretary-general of the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS). "Nor should we forget that many electors wanted to cast a protest vote."
The National Rally of Independent's (RNI) defeat at the hands of the PJD was seen by many as a huge disappointment for the eight parties making up the "Alliance for Democracy" platform. Many had been convinced that the eight-party alliance was on course to win these elections.
RNI chief Salaheddine Mezouar admitted that his party had expected to do much better. "We worked to win the elections, but there was always the possibility of not winning," he explained. He went on to add that "the new constitution also offers a privileged, distinguished position to the opposition, and that is another victory for Moroccan democracy".
The election results also came as a disappointment to long-time politicians who had become used to winning seats in Parliament. Those people included cleric Abdelbari Zemzami from the PRV, businessman Faouzi Chaâbi, former Sale mayor Driss Sentissi, Labour Party Secretary-General Abdelkrim Benatiq, former Rabat mayor Omar Bahraoui, former PPS Secretary-General Ismail Alaoui, the RNI's Abdelaziz El Hafidi, and the UC's Najib Reffouch.
Other politicians, facing potential defeat, decided not to enter the race.
The public has high hopes for the future. Those who voted for the PJD expect change to come. Hakim, a craftsman, said the party represents the voice of the people and that its leaders are well-known for their integrity and earnestness. "I believe they'll do all they can to push the country forward and help the poorest people," he said.
Sociologist Samira Kassimi said that the women's movement remains fearful of the Islamist party's victory, despite the PJD's reassurances. However, she did not see the electoral win as cause for worry.
"If, after five years, people are not satisfied with the PJD, then they can punish them through the ballot box," Kassimi said. "We have to accept democracy. Added to which, I don't think that the PJD will take a stand against moderate positions in Morocco." http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/11/29/feature-03
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Energy: Morocco, productive capacity up 20% in 2 years: Since 2002 7% annual growth in consumption.
(ANSAmed) - RABAT, DECEMBER 2
Morocco's electricity consumption has been seeing sustained growth: since 2002 there has been average annual growth of 7 percent per year. In order to ensure sufficient supplies to meet electricity demand, the state has implemented a plan. Based on the 2009 national energy strategy, which saw a 20 percent growth in installed capacity thanks to investments as part of the short-term action plano of 12 billion dirham (over one billion euros).
The country's Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) is expecting electricity consumption to double between now and 2020, with a possibitilty that it may quadruple by 2030. In view of these forecasts, national energy strategy embrice short-term (2009-2012), medium-term (2013-2019) and long-term (2020 - 2030) action plans. According to the break-down made by the MEM, the productive capacity increase over the past two years (1084.5 extra megawatts), has come 16.6 percent from wind and hydro-power and 43.5 percent from the Aïn Béni Mathar solar power station.
Thanks to these latter stations, 32.2 percent of installed capacity - which is a total of 6,405 megawatts - comes from renewable energy sources. By 2020, writes La Vie éco, the target is to raise the proportion of renewables to 42 percent. Many projects for increasing the production facilities are under way and 5,000 extra megawatts should be guaranteed, much of wich will come from renewable sources. For this reason legislative reforms such as law 13-09 on renewable resources are in place opening the way to competition without limits on installed capacity. Law 57-09 has created an solar energy agency (MASEN, Moroccan agency for solar Energy) and facilities for promoting research into renewable energy sources (IRESEN, the institute for research into solar Energy and renewable energy).
For the long term, instead, there is still the option of using alternative Energy sources: nuclear, biomass and hydrogen. "Every option will be studied, research and development will be promoted, but for the moment, nothing has been decided in this renard. We already have many projects to construct between now and 2020," a Ministry official explained. (ANSAmed).
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/morocco/2011/12/02/visualizza_new.html_10379486.html
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Morocco Islamists: Challenges Ahead
ZOUHAIR BAGHOUGH 11/28/11 Washington / Morocco Board News
There are, according to HCP established figures, 32.2 Mln Moroccans, among which 21.5 Mln eligible voters. Only 13.6 of these have registered, and less than half (6.2 Mln) bothered to turn up at polling stations. To make matters worse, some 20% of those made their choices in a very unorthodox manner, which leaves us with at most 5 Mln of healthy ballots; In other terms, only 24% of adult Moroccans voted. Does this invalidate elections? Definitely no. It does not weaken PJD’s legitimacy, nor does it hurt the whole electoral process‘ credibility among international organizations and significant partners; if anything, a clear PJD victory only strengthens the narrative by which the official discourse goes: Morocco is a regional exception, and regulates its own upheavals better than its neighbors.
This could well be true, but when the most resolute Youth Protesters (Feb20) activists do not tire from pointing out that these elections “do not represent the Moroccan people”, they should be very cautious when they bring up numbers to buttress their claim : in absolute terms, nobody represents “the Moroccan people”, nor the Feb20 movement, nor the electoral process. As long as polls and other precise measurements to capture the mood of the nation are not there, it is wrong to state that any organization, PJD, Feb20 or otherwise can claim a mandate from the people. It so happens that in a large population that seem to display very little interest in politics, a subset has cast the ballot in favor of a party, and in a very clear manner.
Now, I believe in global change to the incumbent institutions towards a more democratic and open system; I also believe that systematically refusing whatever comes from these institutions runs the risk to alienate whatever sympathy left among the apolitical majority they would feel toward Feb20. The boycott option has not worked, on July 1st as well as on November 25th; An all out street showdown, if it is the movement’s real goal, is a losing strategy as far as I can tell. The movement does not view itself as a political player with an agenda to bargain with (bargaining means eliciting a compromise or concession for the greater good):
Bottom line: it does not matter whether PJD’s victory was carried with a minority of popular votes relative to the adult population, what does matter however, is that they displayed their actual strength, and it is quite significant, more significant than Feb20′s own -often gainsaid- get-out-to-protest turnout.
Where did PJD gain votes? Popular votes’ figures have not been released yet, but as the complete list of the future representatives has been published, the ballot system allows for a reliable estimation of popular vote per province.
Relative to 2007, PJD has performed extremely well, and could have gained a lot more seats with a stronger ballot system, e.g. ‘First Past the Post’. These results show that PJD was the first beneficiary of an increased house chamber from 325 to 395. The 60-seats on national ballots have usually a neutral effect on larger parties, but these constituencies allocated additional seats happened to be districts where PJD had either a strong incumbent there, or benefited from a surge in sympathetic votes.
results are computed on the basis of the first party to gain the first seat - a sign of majority in FPTP sense
Overall, PJD still lacks the main prerequisite to pose as a “national party”, meaning, with nationwide constituency; true, PJD has expanded its support beyond their 2002 and 2007 strongholds, but rural constituencies are still a tough nut to crack. This however, did not prevent them to carry some tough districts in Casablanca, Tangier and Rabat to name but a few. If PJD manages to pull off a significant agrarian reform, they could well try and perform and even bigger upset by carrying in 2016 a province like Rhamna-Sraghna, Safi or other rural hinterlands.
This leads us to the next two points I wanted to discuss: the challenges laying ahead of the maiden PJD government, and those specific to the Moroccan liberal and left-leaning radical groups. Some have engaged in grown-up politics, others are still entrenched in partisan squabbling and obsolete schemes.
PJD will have to deal with a tough opposition, so as many observers have noted, outside and inside parliament (regardless of their next coalition partners, PAM will be screaming for PJD ministers’ blood during question time) but I see the real challenge elsewhere; “It the Economy, Stupid” all over again: PJD’s message before, during and after the campaign is loud and clear: rooting out corruption will bring prosperity to everyone.
To that effect, their manifesto provided for generous spendings, and a 40% increase in GNI per capita over the next 5 years. The economic message is very important, not because of the author’s interest in the subject, but because the unlikely coalition that brought PJD to power is a motley of interests that unify in only one subject: the economy – how to improve standards of living and bridge income and wealth gap.
PJD has started on the wrong footing: yesterday, PJD representative and heavyweight Najib Boulif (typed off as likely government minister) has clearly stated in a Radio show on Atlantic Radio that the next government might not after all manage to perform the 7% GDP growth, at least not before 2015. This is bad news for the 40% GNI increase, because they now need a lot more than 7% to do so. We shall wait and see what PJD will do on Fiscal policy, whether they will go for economic efficiency, and not succumb to ideological exaction. I am also interested to hear how they will conciliate their pledge not to go beyond a 3% GDP deficit with their liberal-leaning expansion programs.
What’s Left of the Moroccan liberal/radical current? I have been reviewing PSU’s (leftist party that boycotted elections) platform for their next convention (to be held mid-December) and I have to confess my increasing upset at the language and the contents of what should be the party’s ideological line for the next 4 years. A mixture of renewed juvenile idealism, the fear of being outflanked on the left, and a desperate attempt to cling on the movement as a surrogate to what is perceived to be a mass social uprising have led to the release of a bizarre manifesto I absolutely feel will alienate a lot of moderates leaning towards PSU. I do not claim the party’s representative of liberal voices, but I find it quite disturbing parallel drawn between PSU’s increasing political “looneyness” and USFP’s (mainstream nominally let leaning party) shameless strategy to remain in government as long as possible.
Both will receive retribution for their decisions: the former for the surge in excessive idealism, and latter for squandering what is left of political credibility. The election results and the movement’s entrenched and defiant posture will spell doom upon what is left of Moroccan liberalism, I fear.
http://www.moroccoboard.com/viewpoint/124-zouhair-baghough-/5503-morocco-islamists-challenges-ahead-
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An unconscious horse, lying on its back with a tube coming out of its mouth, is pushed on a trolley at high speed. He has just had an ultrasound scan on his leg, and is heading for the operating theatre. "They want to operate now, before he comes round, rather than having to anaesthetise him twice," says Polly Compston, a vet at Newmarket equine hospital Rossdales. Supported by the Margaret Giffen Trust, Compston is researching the benefits of repairing fractures under a local anaesthetic.
As a graduate, she did work experience in Morocco with Spana, a charity for working animals, which helped her identify ways in which she could take her veterinary career forward. Many of Rossdales' clients are valuable racehorses, with a smattering of three-day eventers and dressage horses – a far cry from the donkeys, mules and horses she came across with Spana.
She volunteered as a vet in Marrakesh for a month. Although she was already fully qualified, Compston says the work experience helped her to home in on what she really wanted to do. "It made me a better vet. Here we have 20 experienced nurses, the horses are well handled and we have all the equipment and drugs we could possibly need. There, the donkeys and mules weren't easy to handle and it was difficult to do many things we take for granted here, like take an x-ray."
Compston is considering a PhD in equine epidemiology, but is sure she will end up travelling and working as a vet again. "Spana really focused me on the working animal side of things – how strongly I felt about being able to help people by helping their animals."
Spana sends only two volunteer vets to Marrakesh at a time, although the vets can move on to one of eight other centres in Morocco, making room for new recruits. Jane Harry, Spana's veterinary programme adviser, says: "They all start in Marrakesh where the [resident] vets speak good English and it's usually very safe. Then if we're happy they are going to cope with the language barrier and they are not too timid, they'll move on to other areas."
The charity provides accommodation, but volunteers pay for their own flights, insurance and food. It helps to speak French and have a diplomatic nature, and volunteers must have vaccinations for rabies and tetanus.
They are supervised until the resident vets are confident about the volunteers' ability, as they will come across conditions they may never have seen in the UK, such as respiratory and eye diseases, rabies, tetanus, mange and wounds, some caused by bad harnessing but also "gaping flesh wounds" incurred in accidents. Harry says many of the animals suffer from colic, which can quickly prove fatal for equines: "You'll see two or three cases every day, partly because the animals forage on rubbish sites and eat plastic bags, partly from internal parasites, and often because of the limited supply of water."
Vets working in Morocco have to do their own lab work and rely on their own examinations. "Resource-wise they learn to think laterally," Harry says.
Such experience can make all the difference when it comes to applying for jobs. "As a potential employer, when people come out of uni there's not much to differentiate between them. But if they have taken the initiative to do this, they'll be a lot more confident and practised in their clinical skills," Harry says.
Kelly Harrison, who graduated this year, spent three weeks in Morocco. "I didn't learn much theory because I had just graduated and have a good UK training, but the practical experience was fantastic. In the UK horses have such a high value it's difficult to let students develop practical skills. But in Morocco they have a more relaxed attitude. I saw just two horses with colic in the whole of vet school, but I dealt with 20 in my three weeks in Morocco and I didn't have a single problem. It's great for your confidence."
Harrison is now on an 18-month contract working for an equine hospital in Gloucestershire. She says: "The time with Spana means that when the vets here ask me if I am happy to carry out a procedure, I can say yes."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/dec/02/vets-work-experience-morocco
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Insha’Allah: Morocco’s Changing Culture
We reached a vast field just beyond Casablanca’s limit. Dusty trails wandered toward the center, where they crisscrossed then extended further outward toward mosques, half made tenement blocks and shanty towns. The sun felt metallic hot. Opaque echos of a single prayer call grazed us with the coming breeze. More began to rise, until the many voices braided the air around us. I watched and froze the sprawling urban panorama that vibrated behind heat waves, until the voices faded away.
This past June I spent five weeks in North Africa participating in an art-research project called Beyond Digital: Morocco . As a collaborative, experimental project, each of the seven multi-disciplined participants interpreted a core research theme centered around contemporary Moroccan music and the culture it emerges from. I used this evocative aspect of the culture as a guide to explore the country’s current landscape, both environmental and social.
Morocco is a landscape at the precipice. At the far western edge of the Muslim world, it is both a world unto itself and a historic doorway between Europe, the Middle East and Africa. These varied influences have woven themselves into a unique cultural fabric, marked with sharp contrasts. Today, Western cultural trends, international investment projects and sprawling urban development jostle together with the country’s Muslim and ancient Berber cultures. To this is added the pressing undertone of Morocco’s ambivalent position within the developing Arab Spring.
My goal was to make a series of images which would capture the concurrent dynamics of this contemporary Moroccan landscape. As a foreign artist, I wanted to seek the edges of the landscape that fell away from the ways Morocco is generally represented, allowing the landscape to recount its story through the image-making process. This photographic contribution was one of several media involved in the larger project, from documentary video shorts to software design, each offering its own artistic interpretation, thus creating a multi-faceted experiment in how art and cultural research can work in tandem.
John Francis Peters is a New York based photographer and photo editor.
Read more: http://lightbox.time.com/2011/11/30/inshaallah-moroccos-changing-culture/#ixzz1fUnDTYnK
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Moroccan tea is one of the important traditions and cultures of Morocco, and making it is an art form in itself. Made up of green tea and mint leaves, this tradition, which started in Morocco, spread throughout North Africa, southern Spain and to the many Moroccan restaurants all over the world.
“The first glass is as bitter as life, the second glass is as strong as love, the third glass is as gentle as death,” says the proverb. Moroccan mint tea is a favorite among many people outside of Morocco because of its strong and sweet taste.
In fact, Morocco is the only country in the Arab world that was not part of the Ottoman Empire. The Turks successfully spread coffee culture throughout the Arab world and gave the tea a very minor role. Without the Ottoman influence, Morocco held on to its tea culture, setting it apart from the rest of the Arab world. Even though coffee can be offered in Morocco, it has a French style and taste, unlike Turkish coffee.
In the Arab world, mint tea is only served after a meal; however, Moroccan tea is served throughout the day due to its popularity. Moroccans take special pride in their green mint tea culture. While being served everywhere, from small gatherings to big ones like weddings, restaurants and even at home, Moroccan tea is ceremoniously prepared in front of guests at formal occasions. In Morocco, green tea is a sign of hospitality friendship, and tradition and is always served when there are guests over, so it is impolite to refuse it.
Moroccans use a special kind of green tea known as "gunpowder" tea. “When the green tea leaves are harvested, the leaves are rolled into tiny balls and dried,” explained Fatima Al-Zahraa, a tea specialist and owner of a teashop in Marrakech. “Green tea has strong antioxidant elements, and it is also very high in caffeine, so it definitely gives you a healthy energetic boost and refreshing taste.”
Many Moroccans grow mint in their gardens; however, it is cheap and always available in their marketplace. “When a housewife is in short supply of mint, you would find her prepare green tea with either sheeba (leaves of the wormwood tree) or with lemon verbena leaves,” said Al-Zahraa.
Moroccan teapots come in different sizes. A small pot usually holds about a half liter (six glasses) of tea while a larger pot holds just about a liter (12 glasses). “Moroccan teapots can be either be very simple or very ornate, and they are usually made of stainless steel to keep the tea hot inside,” explained Al-Zahraa.
Moroccans call their teapot “bred” and the typical Moroccan tea glasses “keesan.” They serve them on a serving platter called “senia,” which is made of wood, plastic, brass, copper or silver. http://arabnews.com/lifestyle/article540705.ece
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