How to Host a Moroccan Jewish Festival at the End of Passover

As soon as the sun sets at the end of the last day of Passover, Jews in Morocco have traditionally hosted gala open houses called “Mimouna” (“MEE-moo-nah”) with holiday foods and symbolic items on the table. It celebrates not only the return to eating leavened breads (and cakes!) after the holiday, but also the bounty of the earth’s fertility in spring. In Israel it has become a recognized part of the holiday celebration.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• White tablecloth
• Fresh flowers, stalks of wheat (or substitute), greenery to decorate the table
• A dish of honey with a coin in it
• A dish of flour
• A baked whole fish
• 1 package cous-cous
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup fava beans
• Butter in a butter dish
• Sugar in sugar bowl
• Buttermilk
• Wine (optional) and other drinks (water, juice)
• Crepes with honey
• Dates, figs, almonds
• Fresh fruit
• Baklava or other cakes
• Mint tea
• Plates, glassware, silverware, serving platters

1. Set the table with the cloth, the flowers, greenery and the honey with the coin. Put the dates, figs, almonds out.

2. Prepare the cous-cous according to the package directions. Add raisins and the fava beans to the grains while they are steaming in the boiling water. Fluff well. Keep hot. Serve in bowls. Let guests add butter (a pat of butter per serving) and sprinkle sugar over the grain, stir well. Serve buttermilk with the “cous-cous au buerre” (cous-cous with butter).

3. Bake the fish and serve hot or cold with your favorite garnish.

4. Make crepes and serve with honey.

5. Serve other cakes (such as baklava) and fruit. Serve hot mint tea with sugar.

Tips & Warnings

• One box of couscous will serve three or four people.
• Frozen fava beans are available in some markets and cook quickly.
• You can do a buffet or a seated meal. The crepes and cakes can be the dessert.
• Fish is a symbol of fertility.
• You can also serve dairy products such as cheese and a salad to round out the meal.
• Get help so you can manage all the different dishes.
• Wash the coin before you put it in the honey (traditionally a gold coin was used).
• If you use fresh fava beans, remove them from their pods and steam until tender. Add to couscous when cooked. Use gloves to remove from pods to avoid staining hands.