Azday, Gathering Stories of Food - Meat & Fish Consumption

Photo by Bashir Nannis

In the extreme North West of Libya lives the Amazigh community of At Willul. The At Willul have inhabited the area surrounding the city of Zuwara for centuries, Yet despite their historic roots, much of their history and culture has gone unrecorded. Sadly, this is particularly evidenced by the minimal amount of sources in existence preserving their culinary heritage.  

To ensure the preservation of At Willul dishes, culinary traditions, and mythologies, 15 Amazigh elders were asked to reflect upon these topics. The story you are about to read is one of the traditions they recounted. 

 The Amazigh people are distinguished by the multitude of their dishes. Couscous, ‘ⴽⵙⴽⵙⵓ’ is one of the Amazigh staple foods, consisting of small grains made out of wheat. The word Couscous traces its roots to the Tamazight language and it is derived from the phrase meaning ‘small pieces’ or ‘well rounded’. Couscous serves as the base for a variety of dishes, also known as couscous.

One of the most common couscous dishes is the couscous with meat. It is eaten for lunches and dinners as well as weddings and any big celebrations. However in the past, meat consumption was limited to special occasions and affluent households.

When it comes to the choice of meat, At Willul have a strong preference for cow meat, goat meat and sheep. Unlike in other parts of Libya, it is rare for At Willul to consume camel meat. This could be linked to old religious practices connected with Judaism, as camel meat is not considered kosher. Goat meat is a popular choice for couscous dishes. Goats are a fairly popular farm animal for At Willul, both their meat and milk.  Goat milk is by example used by At Willul to cook Bazeen, a barley-based dough served with tomato sauce and meat, and one of the national dishes of Libya.

Another really popular couscous dish is couscous with fish. As At Willul live and work by the Mediterranean Sea, seafood occupies a central place in the At Willul food traditions. 

This story is part of Azday ‘ⴰⵣⴷⴰⵢ ‘ project, an effort to document the culinary heritage of the At Willul. In the coming days, we will be sharing more stories of At Willul culinary heritage. We will also be publishing a booklet containing all the stories and more.

Azday project is funded by the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund, in partnership with theDepartment for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The project is conducted in partnership with theAt Wellol Movement.