3 days ago
From Labani to freezies : The treats that kept 90s Moroccan kids cool
In the middle of August, in the thick of a heatwave, with the blazing sun beating down, 90s kids can't help but remember, with a nostalgic smile, how they fought the heat. Back then, nothing beat the joy of ice cream and frozen snacks to stay cool and make the most of summer holidays.
Today, store freezers are packed with endless choices, but millennials in Morocco didn't have that luxury. Their handful of options, though simple, left a mark that still lives on, resurfacing in Facebook posts, Instagram reels, and YouTube videos that transport us straight back to those carefree summer days.
If you're a millennial who grew up in Morocco or visited during the summer, Yabiladi has compiled a list of your favorite frozen summer snacks. Disclaimer: you might get emotional.
Vanilla-and-wafer «Labani»
Want ice cream and wafer? Moul Labani has you covered with his street ice creams, the Moroccan way. For many 90s kids in Morocco, this treat was the highlight of a day at the beach, a trip to the local moussem (festival), or a day at the fair. The ice cream was most often, if not exclusively, vanilla, sandwiched between plain, crisp wafers, a very thin, flat, light biscuit.
That's why it's called Labani, which is a Darija word derived from the French la vanille (vanilla). Although it was only vanilla, it was a faithful companion to kids during hot summer days. And just like in American movies, where spotting an ice cream van is considered good luck, seeing a Moul Labani vendor was also a sign of sweet, refreshing fortune. Typically dressed in a white coat, he carries a large metal box that he places in a two-wheeled cart.
Today, Moul Labani is still holding on despite the endless ice cream options available to kids. But for those longing for a taste of the past, you might just be lucky enough to stumble upon him.
A Stick, Yogurt, and Abra Kadabra Ice Cream
For those who didn't have access to Moul Labani, or were forced to play indoors, a clever trick emerged: why not make ice cream at home if we couldn't buy it? The ingredients were simple and usually found at home: a wooden stick (or sometimes a spoon from the kitchen drawer), a yogurt of any kind, and the freezer.
90s kids would pierce the yogurt lid with the stick or spoon and place it in the freezer overnight. For a genius idea like this, patience was key. Those who preferred grenade-flavored fermented milk didn't pierce it; instead, they waited until it froze and then sliced it in half, always with an adult's help.
These DIY ice creams became so popular in the late 1990s that hanouts (corner shops) started making them for kids to buy ready and frozen. Milk and yogurt companies also jumped on the trend, releasing yogurt drinks that hanouts froze and sold in halves or even quarters for those on a budget.
Fun freezies
Freezies were another refreshing favorite for Moroccan kids in the 90s. Made by sealing flavored liquid, like sugar water or fruit juice, inside a plastic tube and freezing it, they were a simple yet irresistible summer snack.
Fun and colorful, they came in a variety of flavors, such as cherry, orange, lemon-lime, watermelon, cream soda, blue raspberry, and grape. What more could a kid ask for while running around, playing outside, or gaming on a Nintendo than one of these sweet frozen treats?
