Id Yennayer, Yennayer or the Amazigh New Year, so many names are given to this time of the year, which others also call “the agrarian new year”. Indeed, this millennial celebration is an opportunity to cherish the values of sharing and generosity, as well as the symbols of abundance that go with them, starting with the nourishing earth, but also the life that it makes possible.
It is for this very reason that many preparations and dishes are served as desired during these festivities. These are marked by large-scale reunions, beyond the strictly family circle. In addition to the transmission of culinary know-how and the values of sharing, resilience and respect, the idea of the Yennayer celebration is precisely to maintain a certain spirit of community life, where collective work on the land allows us to reap the fruits of labor, which recognizes the contribution of each person to the common good, men, women and children.
The origins of this celebration date back to the enthronement of the Amazigh pharaoh Sheshonq I. Pharaonic Egypt is also the first civilization to develop culinary know-how based on kneaded seeds, starting with bread making and fermentation. But more broadly, the population has until then been eating porridge and unleavened pancakes.
Photo d’illustration / Ph. AFP
Symbolically, the spirit of sharing know-how and values that have been grafted to Yennayer over the centuries is combined in the plates, with ingredients referring to the land and locally ancient specificities: olive oil, oil argan, honey, ghee (smen), white beans, lentils, chickpeas, barley, corn, dried peas, dried fruits, dried vegetables, local herbs or even dried meats, including goat’s feet (ikikr), depending on the region.
After the New Year of the Gregorian calendar, it is time for the one more anciently anchored in the Amazigh tradition throughout North Africa, including Morocco. In the country, many regions have the custom of commemorating the Amazigh New Year with a collective dinner. Mainly in Souss, the feast is shaped around a thick porridge which sits in the center of the table: tagoula.
In the region, Tiznit is considered one of the capitals where this preparation is served according to the rules of art and culinary tradition, recalls the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT).
“Amnaz”, the multi-millennial bean that brings blessing
Served hot in this winter season, this dish is often made with corn or barley meal. In summer, tagoula becomes a preparation as nutritious as it is refreshing, served warm or cooled, with whey (lben). Beyond the deliciousness, the preparation itself denotes a philosophy of life that has been celebrated throughout the centuries.
Indeed, the secret to the success of tagoula lies in the patience that we put into its meticulous cooking, over low heat and ideally over a wood fire for hours, until we ensure that the seeds are tenderly cooked. . For a festive touch, New Year’s tagoula can be accompanied by other components, beyond the classic bowl of olive or argan oil. Depending on availability, it can be prepared with dates and almonds.
As in the galette des rois, which celebrates the epiphany in this month of January, the Yennayer tagoula contains its sweet seed, which young and old alike have fun finding to find out who will have the chance to continually carry the blessing, until the next annual meeting. It is “amnaz”, a date hidden in the middle of the tagoula dish.
In popular belief, discovering it will be a good omen throughout the year. In addition to dried fruits, tagoula is dressed with a drizzle of olive or argan oil, or even honey and ghee. At the table, everyone helps themselves as they wish, adding an additional dose of one of these components, according to everyone’s appetite. Those with a taste for it can also accompany their dish with a creamy amlou, the traditional almond marmalade.
Beyond tagoula, Yennayer’s table can be enriched with different patiently simmered dishes. Thus, some communities opt for another equally legendary main dish: couscous. In the regions most steeped in Amazigh cultures, it is available in preparations based on barley or corn, green leaves and seasonal vegetables, mainly turnips and carrots. Unlike the commonly accepted and more modern version, the Amazigh New Year’s t’am is generally prepared without meat.
