VI
EN
The Sahara region of Morocco preserves many ancient culinary traditions that have allowed the Berbers – a nomadic people – to survive in the harsh climate. The quality of their dishes doesn't depend on complex machinery, but rather on the skill of the human hands.
Madfouna is a hand-stuffed loaf of bread filled with several key ingredients. Traditionally, it is baked in a fire pit under the sand or in a mud oven, and has long been a nutritious food for many nomadic families living on the edge of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes near the Algerian border. When baked, the finished product closely resembles pizza, so locals often call it by another name: Berber Pizza.
Using the traditional Sahara bread recipe with ingredients including flour, yeast, salt, olive oil, and water, the dough is kneaded until elastic, then rolled up before being flattened into shape. Locals often use beef, eggs, nuts, onions, garlic, and spices such as cumin, chili powder, turmeric, ginger, and parsley as fillings.
Given the limitations imposed by the Sahara Desert terrain, food needed to be prepared simply and easily. And since ovens were unavailable, nomads used many rustic methods to bake bread, such as using fire. The nomads would dig a hole in the sand, then light a small fire to heat a stone. A lump of Madfouna dough was placed directly on top of the hot stone and covered with a tin box.
The bread is blackened on the side that came into contact with the fire and the stone. Before eating, people brush off the burnt layer with a cloth and scrape it clean with a knife. Finally, Madfouna is cut into pieces to share with everyone. Although originating from the cooking techniques of ancient nomads, not every family bakes bread in a fire pit. In small towns scattered across the Sahara Desert, many households still use mud ovens for baking. Their homes often have a well-ventilated room for preparing food using this method.
Each family has its own version of Madfouna based on the ingredients used for the filling. Some use eggs, tomatoes, and sunflower seeds. Others add almonds, cashews, olives, lamb, or chicken. The combinations are very rich and diverse.
Regardless of the version, the most authentic way to bake Madfouna is using a sand oven or mud oven. This is because it imparts a natural smoky flavor that no modern oven can replicate.
Today, Madfouna can be found in fast-food stalls in Rissani—a Saharan town bordering the ruins of Sijilmasa. Small eateries tucked away in alcoves, resembling takeout restaurants, often serve Madfouna in cardboard boxes, much like pizza. It's the perfect meal before embarking on a journey through the Moroccan Sahara.
Ngoc Anh (According to BBCTravel)
