The multifunctional furnaces of Marrakech

As the first dish of warm water was poured over my head commencing its descent down my naked body, my inhibitions faded. Feeling less vulnerable I closed my eyes and allowed the warmth of the hammam to consume me. Relaxed, I reminisced about my morning in our Riad.
Starting with our lazy mint tea in the courtyard.
“Girls” Michel called to us “come and have a look!”
Our attention grabbed we leisurely made our way off our day-beds to where Michel the Riad owner and his chef were standing. The chef was clutching a large terracotta urn with an alfoil lid. Once we were close he pulled aside the alfoil releasing the strong aroma of its contents. We leaned in inhaling the fresh scents of coriander, cumin, garlic, preserved lemon and a blend of other luscious Moroccan spices.
“This is your tangia” Michel announced. “Once the hammam furnace is lit for your baths we will place it in the ashes to cook. It will be ready for your meal tonight”
Already we were salivating about our dinner!
Not to be confused with tagine, a tangia is a speciality dish found only in Marrakech. A simple stew where beef and spices are (literally) thrown into an urn. It’s then brought to a furnace that heats a hammam and slow-cooked. No surprise that because of its simplicity this effortless dish is traditionally prepared by the local bachelors of Marrakech.
“Please stand up” I was jolted out of my delicious daydream and brought back to reality by the lady in the hammam. She was rinsing off the soapy suds that had lathered over my body. “You can sit down now”
As I sat she placed a kiis mitten on her hand and in long singular strokes she skillfully scrubbed my skin. With each soft scrape I saw the Sahara sands that had seeped into my epidermis, roll away revealing the soft new layer underneath.
After I was rinsed thoroughly, I was told it was finished and handed a robe.
Squeaky clean and refreshed I emerged from the hammam ready to conquer the evening and our tangia, simmering in the walls behind me.