At the Market in Meknes
I took a day trip to Meknes yesterday, one of the former capitals of Morocco (a distinction that has been shared by several different cities over the last few centuries). My favorite part was the covered market. Each vendor's wares are spread out in stunning array around him. This can make for charming, Art Deco-esque displays in the olive and candy sections, and for shocking scenes in the butcher department.
I learned after posting photos from a buffalo sacrifice in Cambodia that people would prefer to be told before they look at dead animals. So a warning before you click through the photos here, particularly for vegetarians: the butcher shops make very clear that what you are buying is an animal that used to be alive. The easiest way to identify what is being sold at each stall is to look for the head hanging nearby. I was shocked by the frankness of it when I first entered the market, and then I felt a little embarrassed.
I eat meat. Every meat dish I've ever consumed was once a living animal that was then killed and butchered. In the U.S., we have someone do that far away from view, so that all we have to deal with are the tidy, plastic-wrapped packages at the market. This is harder to see, and it's also much more honest. Because Morocco doesn't have the vast industrial farms of the U.S., and because of halal requirements, the animals here were likely raised and slaughtered in a more humane way than any animal destined for an American chain restaurant or grocery store. Virtually every part of the animal is available for sale, ensuring that little is wasted. And if you know all that and you still are horrified, then perhaps it's time to consider a vegetarian lifestyle.
