Bunnies

My Arabic lesson today included words for food.  Some of the ladies began asking where they could by this and that, and the discussion moved on to the best baker, grocer, butcher, and so on in our part of town.  And while we were on the topic, our teacher told us that since she started teaching westerners, she can no longer go to the butcher, select a live chicken, and watch it be slaughtered and plucked.  Even though the chicken is much tastier that way, our squeamishness about this process has rubbed off on her.  There was one situation, however, in which she reverted back to the the old way.

Because her children had been begging for a pet, she bought them two rabbits.  One was brown and one was white and their names were Chocolate and Candy, respectively.  For a couple of days everyone was happy.  The children loved their cute bunnies and they were no longer begging for a pet.  Unfortunately, the bunnies began to stink up the house.  And while Egyptians don't seem to be too picky about dirt, dust, and trash outside, they apparently cannot abide any of that inside their homes.  So one morning after the children left for school Chocolate and Candy were gathered up and taken away.

There is a traditional Egyptian dish called Molokhiyah, made from a type of okra and often served with meat.  In Cairo, most people prefer to serve it with rabbit.  When my teacher's children returned from school that day, their mother offered them this delicious soup for lunch.  But before they began to eat, the daughter asked where her beloved bunnies were.  Her mother pointed to the soup.  And for some reason (my teacher cannot imagine why!) since that day, none of her children will eat this tasty Egyptian treat.