If you happen to mention mofleta to a Moroccan, the response will very likely be something like "ahhhh, mofleta, my Savta's mofleta is the best!" Mofleta is made from dough very similar to pita dough, with just a touch more oil, and it is cooked in a frying pan like a large pancake. Good mofleta must be made from very thin dough, and is quite tasty when eaten with butter and honey. (Symbolizing abundance, sweetness, and happiness, and also Israel, the land of Milk and Honey.) While mofleta is eaten during the year, in some families every Rosh Chodesh, in others as a Chanukah treat, it is universally enjoyed amongst Moroccans as the first bread after Passover. And I mean right after Passover, like the very same night that the holiday ends! (This would have been last night for those outside of Israel.)
You see, Moroccan women tend to be very quick in the kitchen and very neat and clean. Not to mention that traditionally families lived together, so there would certainly be a few generations of women in the kitchen at any given time. Which means that cleaning up after the Passover holiday ended (at night) and putting away every last Passover dish before bringing any flour into the house wasn't such a big job for them. And the idea of throwing a late night party that same night for family, friends and neighbors wasn't overwhelming, it was simply a joyful tradition that everyone looked forward to!
As far as what's happening in my house right after Passover, well I have yet to learn how to make mofleta (though rest assured, I will, soon!) or be organized enough to throw a party at the end of a week long holiday, but I do believe it's in our future and I would like it to be! How nice to end the holiday with yet another warm tradition. I just need to find a few of those Moroccan women to gather in my kitchen to give me a hand!
And in case you're wondering, the mofleta in this photo was sent over yesterday by a kind neighbor who instinctively knew that mofleta after Passover would make my husband happy. Okay, by the time it arrived I had sent the husband and kids out for pizza so that I could tackle the mountain of laundry, but I certainly appreciated it, so that I could share this wonderful tradition with you!
