National Geographic Traveller (UK)
A TASTE OF MOROCCO
Delicately spiced tagines, flu y loaves fresh from the oven and nutty, honeyed sweets — Morocco is home to a mouth-watering array of food. Immerse yourself in its eclectic cuisine, whether through street food tours or hands-on classes with locals
SIP MINT TEA IN SOUTH MOROCCO
The quintessentially Moroccan ritual of handing out glasses of hot, herbal tea is a convivial way to say ‘hello’. Chef Tarik OrtyCt’s Atelier De Cuisine school near Tadouarte is one of several places where you can learn about this fragrant pick-me-up, made by boiling Chinese gunpowder green tea with fresh herbs before pouring from a height. Other leaves such as thyme and lemon verbena may be included, depending on the season.
atelier-chef-tarik.com
STREET FOOD IN CHEFCHAOUEN
Local guides from Moroccan Food Tour offer culinary walks around the medina in the morning or evening, sampling delicacies as you go. On a meander through the city’s narrow lanes, work up an appetite by browsing the wares at grocer’s shops, fruit stalls and street food spots, nibbling on bread, dates, olives, goat’s cheese, walnuts and fruit. Finally, sit-down for dishes such as carrot salad, fried fish and tagines.
moroccanfoodtour.com
COOK CLASSIC DISHES IN FEZ
Cooking courses offer visitors an experience that stimulates all five senses to the full. At Palais Amani hotel’s residential Fez Cooking School, participants can learn essential skills from an experienced local chef, heading into the souks to buy ingredients including fresh vegetables, before rustling up dishes such as bissara (broad bean soup) and zaalouk (grilled aubergine salad) in the rooftop kitchen.
fezcookingschool.com
PREPARE COUSCOUS IN AN AMAZIGH VILLAGE
Forget everything you know about cooking couscous: the perfect dish of plump, fluffy grains takes patience and dedication to prepare.
On a group tour of rural Morocco with Intrepid Travel, visiting Amazigh family homes, your welcoming hosts will gladly demonstrate the correct technique and add ras el hanout, Morocco’s classic spice blend including cumin, cinnamon and cloves, to bring the dish to life. intrepidtravel.com
BAKE KHOBZ BREAD IN MEKNES
Baking is a daily ritual in Morocco, and the classic bread is khobz, puffy, golden-brown loaves that can be as small as a saucer or as big as a dustbin lid. Most homes have their own wood-fired oven, but some Moroccans prefer to hand-mix, knead and shape their dough at home then take it to a faran (community oven), where the baker will cook it on the spot. Riad Lahboul, in Meknes, offers courses that teach the entire process. riadlahboul.com