A QUICK TOUR OF FOOD IN MOROCCO
Topic: Come along on a quick food tour of Morocco, taking the example of Marrakesh, a city which I recently visited.
“Laughter is the brightest in the place where food is good.”
~Irish proverb
🐪🍵⋆｡°🍡°⋆. ࿔*:･🌿🍲
WHAT FOOD IN MOROCCO TAUGHT ME
When I left for Morocco, I knew that I was in for a good food tour.
I have always loved North African food, especially couscous. I discovered it in France and it was one of my favourite dishes whenever I went to a Moroccan, Algerian or Tunisian restaurant.
This is why I was very excited to go to Morocco because I new that it was going to be a wonderful experience.
I wasn’t wrong!
My first food encounter came from my husband. He was already in Marrakesh when I arrived. After fetching me from the airport, I found that he had made some nice salad, using simple but yet amazing ingredients: buttery avocado, plump olives, crunchy yellow bell pepper, aromatic fresh herbs, carrots…you name it! A nice baguette and a glass of red wine completed the meal.
I was in food paradise!
It did not even matter that it was past ten o’clock in the evening. I sat down with much appreciation and thoroughly enjoyed myself, especially since I had only eaten two sandwiches and a croissant while travelling.
Later on, I slept contentedly and looked much forward to the following day. Food in Morocco was already fulfilling its unwritten contract!
Breakfast was a repeat of the previous evening, only that I added a hot mug of black tea. As I ate, I thought of what I would eat again that day. I decided to go around the neighbourhood to get a feel of what I could eat. Yes, I was obsessed, ha, ha.
I walked for about two kilometres and discovered many restaurants. The menus were most of the times in French, owing to France’s colonial history. I was relieved because I do understand and speak this language.
There were different types of cafés and restaurants, mainly offering both local and international cuisine. I mostly wanted to eat local food so I opted for a small eatery where I could buy chicken skewers (brochettes de poulet in French.)
The food was relatively cheap. It cost me 45 Moroccan dirhams, which was about 5 dollars. I thought the quality of the meat would be mediocre, but I got a pleasant surprise.
It was a huge relief to find out that the chicken tasted way better than in Europe. It felt like real meat: hard but not tough. I suddenly had many questions as to the quality of meat I ate in Europe!
The portions were also just right and I felt simply happy to be able to enjoy this meal. They had even given me grilled vegetables and French fries as a side dish. I almost cried because the food felt wholesome, even though it was takeaway food.
I sipped my fresh orange juice slowly and soon felt asleep, dreaming of food in Morocco and other delicacies that were awaiting me.
The following days saw me walking more, discovering Marrakesh’s hidden culinary treasures.
For example, we had a blast at Chez Mariama’s restaurant. Initially, we just wanted to get out of the maze that was the medina. It was past nine in the evening and we were getting worried that we would never make it out of the souk…alive.
Suddenly the lights of Mariama’s restaurant beckoned to us and we welcomed them with the joy of hungry travellers.
I was all the more overjoyed because I had seen her cooking classes online and I wanted to participate in one. It was therefore without hesitation that we entered the restaurant and enquired about the classes.
We also found out that we could still eat there, so we gladly said ‘yes!’ and went to sit on the rooftop terrace. It was beautiful and welcoming. We were even able to remove our coats and just remain with sweaters.
The food was simple, yet delicious. It was served with admirable hospitality and I felt grateful for this experience. Normally, I stick to one dish when eating out. In Marrakesh, that rule went out the window! Each meal was a new flavour lesson. I quickly realized a lifetime wouldn’t be enough to taste everything the city had to offer!
Later on, we would have similar experiences in other restaurants. We were never disappointed with the food and I found out that cheap prices did not necessarily mean bad quality. Rather quite the opposite! The food was consistently fresh and full of flavour!
I wasn’t able to participate in Mariama’s cooking class. Fate took me elsewhere and I must say that partaking in this new experience was one of the highlights of my trip!
This four-hour experience cost me 350 Moroccan dirhams but it was worth the money because it dived me into the heart of food in Morocco.
We were welcomed with a platter of biscuits and mint tea. The tea ceremony whetted my appetite and I couldn’t wait to start.
I spent a delightful morning and early afternoon cooking alongside a British couple, guided step by step through the preparation of traditional dishes.
We learnt how to cook both a chicken and a vegetablle tajine, slowly building layers of flavour. The ingredients and spices were exceptionally fresh and tasty.
It was an incredible day. We experimented with different cooking techniques: roasting eggplants and bell peppers on open fire and peeling them in order to make a Moroccan salad. We used tajine dishes for the first time and marvelled at the simplicity, yet elegance of it all.
Normal spices that I usually see at home became the secret ingredients to a pleasurable experience: curcuma, ground ginger, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, even coarse salt!
The aromas of warm spices, slow-cooked chicken and vegetables and fresh herbs were so intoxicating that I had to practice serious self-control! I kept wishing I had two stomachs. The colourful and patterned dishes added to this sensory experience and I could not get enough of it.
This was pure art.
Our chef, who also acted as our guide, shared personal anecdotes and traditional stories that shed more light on food in Morocco. This brought about a deeper understanding of the food culture in the country.
One particularly memorable moment came when a woman joined us to show us how to make Moroccan fluffy pancakes which are called msemen. They are square and resemble Indian chapatis. However, Moroccan pancakes are made with flour, fine semolina and enriched with generous amounts of olive oil and butter.
Watching her work was mesmerising and I simply could not take my eyes off her swift movements. This was experience at its best! The pancakes emerged impossibly soft and fluffy. Eating them warm, drizzled with honey, was pure pleasure! Oh my God! I want to go back to Morocco! Right now!
I tell you, the whole eating experience was a joy and I will readily do this, any time, anywhere!
Even beyond Marrakesh, the lessons continued. In the coastal city of Essaouira, seafood grills tempted us with fresh fish and oysters straight from the sea.
Sadly, we couldn’t indulge, having already eaten couscous, but the smells, sights, and thought of that meal left a lingering lesson.
Food in Morocco constantly tempted us. Luckily enough it was healthy in most cases and never represented a threat!
The fact that I also walked a lot allowed me to try different types of food without being afraid of the ‘addition sur la balance‘ (roughly the adding up of kilogrammes on the scale).
All in all, it was a pleasant experience that I would readily relive.
Food in Morocco taught me a lot about curiosity and patience. Food ingredients need time and thoughtful care to bring the best out of them.
The cooking techniques I saw were not invented overnight. They probably went way back to centuries before.
The whole trip and these food lessonss were a privilege and I am grateful for that.
I know that I will put these lessons into practice.
It’s the least I can do!
🐪🍵⋆｡°🍡°⋆. ࿔*:･🌿🍲
Further Exploration: Food in Morocco—Educating the Senses in Marrakesh, Featuring a Tajine Cooking Lesson! Incredible! (Level A2-B1-B2) 🇲🇦
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About the Author
Thandi Ngwira Gatignol is the founder of Learn English With Africa. She was born on June 11th, 1981 in Blantyre, Malawi. When she was 19, she left her country of birth for France. She currently lives with her two daughters and husband in Poland.
Thandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in English studies obtained at the Université Paris X Nanterre in France and a Certificate in Journalism from Malawi. She has taught English as a French Ministry of Education certified teacher both in France and in Poland. She speaks six languages fluently, including French, Polish and Italian. She is now learning Kiswahili, German and Spanish. Salt No More is her debut novel and you can find her other books here on the website or on Amazon.
Video music credit:
- Subjectivity by A. Cooper, Free Music Archive, Attribution 4.0 International License.
Post Title: Food in Morocco—Educating the Senses in Marrakesh, Featuring a Tajine Cooking Lesson! Incredible! (Level A2-B1-B2) 🇲🇦 © Learn English With Africa, February 2026
