The food!

Wandering around the food stalls in Marrakech was a great introduction to Moroccan cuisine.



Food stall in the Djemaa el-Fna.


Some of the odder dishes included bercouch (snail soup, literally snails and snail broth) and sheep heads (hair singed off, head cleaned and stewed with chickpeas). At one of the places, we didn’t even order, they just brought us bread, a little bowl of mild coriander salsa, and a plate of merguez (small sausages). Sooo tasty! Another spot had dates, sweet cakes, and harira (soup with meat, chickpeas, tomatoes and lentils seasoned with coriander and lemon)… and that’s it.




Perhaps the best meal we had in Marrakech!


Sitting down to some of these places is intimidating, as they either don’t have menus or much of the menu is in Arabic script. But it’s totally worth it. We ended up eating where the locals ate and trying most of the specialties (though the sheep head stalls were an exception as neither of us could nut up and try it), trusting that Moroccans know where to go for good Moroccan food. Last but not least, let’s not forget the old standbys: couscous and tajine (named after the cookware it is concocted in). Available almost everywhere, these are the meals we’ve eaten the most. There are infinite variations on these dishes, but most include meat (chicken, lamb or beef), heaps of local vegetables, and a side of khoobz (local bread) to sop up the juices with. And the couscous here is steamed, not boiled, which makes a massive difference. Napkins consist of paper cut into small squares. Really, paper.



Fresh-squeezed juice.


There are a few dessert stalls, serving mostly hunja (spicy cinnamon tea) and sellout (spicy gingerbread like stuff). Drinks are a bit limited in selection, but not in quality. Fresh-squeezed orange juice is available pretty much everywhere. In the Djemaa el-Fna, it costs 3 Dh, or about forty cents. Then there are sodas, and bottled water, and such. But mint tea is what everyone drinks. It’s part of the daily life of any Moroccan. It’s almost an institution. You drink it morning, noon and night. It’s also a Moroccan way to show friendliness and hospitality to friends and tourists. Moroccans like to hang out and chat, and tea is the perfect addition to enjoying time spent with friends. It’s so nice, it may become part of our normal routine even after our trip is over!



Dates, nuts, and more!