The walking food tour I did with Marrakech Food Tours was unquestionably the highlight of my trip in Marrakech. My favorite aspect of the trip was that we went to locations I would not have found on my own. Locations that maybe only locals are aware of. Locations where I would have been unable to order due to a language barrier. Restaurants with no English menus. Genuine, real Moroccan restaurants serving delectable traditional cuisine that I would not have discovered or experienced on my own.
I met Amanda, one of the tour company’s proprietors, at the conveniently placed post office in Jemaah el Fna Plaza. Introductions were made quickly, and I was pleased to find that there was another blogger on the trip. Georgette and her husband from Girl in Florence will be accompanying us as we ate our way around the city.
Check read my previous piece on Chefchaouen: Morocco’s Blue Pearl.
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Tours of Marrakech’s Cuisine
Sheep roast
We hurried across the plaza to our first destination, where we discovered we’d be sampling roasted sheep. I love any form of roasted meat, but the display at the front was a little scary.
The restaurant’s owner met with us and discussed the cooking process as well as showing us the oven. The oven is really underneath the restaurant, accessible via a hole on the floor. The oven’s inconspicuous entryway leads to a massive cooking room. The inside could accommodate up to 40 lambs for roasting at one time. But, as previously said, cooking this many at once is unusual. This is normally reserved for weddings and festivals.
We were given two separate plates after being seated. Tangia, which is sheep cooked in a clay pot, was served first. It was fascinating to discover that the clay cooking plates are buried overnight with the same charcoal that warms the hammams (bathhouses).
We next tasted mechoui, which is made from entire roasted sheep. We ripped into the plates with our hands, scooping up the meat with the fresh bread that was brought with our meal. The mechoui was also accompanied with a roasted sheep head. We were all uncomfortably eyeing this platter while we ate the foods that weren’t looking back at us.
jaw region and physically pull aside the sheep’s face to get to the flesh underneath. Eventually, Amanda asked who wanted to be courageous, and I immediately offered. I started gently removing the flesh before she showed me how to do it properly. You must grasp the lower mouth.
That may not seem appealing, but it tasted great, particularly with the cumin and toast. This first stop on the trip was so good that I returned two days later with friends to give it a try. We just ate the roasted meat the second time and skipped the sheep head. One of the must-try items on Marrakech cuisine excursions.
Market for olives
We next went to one of the numerous olive booths in the medina. I wish I loved olives because they were all so beautiful. Some were spicy, others were sweeter, some were colorful, and some seemed familiar. Morocco is also the world’s fourth-largest producer of olives.
The majority of Moroccan olives are eaten locally rather than exported. I tasted one just to be sure, but I still dislike olives. Everyone else agreed that they were delectable.
Pizza Moroccana
We continued our journey through the medina’s meandering lanes to our next stop to taste msemmen omara. This is a flat pancake with onions and spices within. It is often only cooked in the evenings since a basic version is offered in the morning and throughout the day.
It was really tasty and delectable. I could easily envision myself nibbling on them as I continued to explore the medina’s merchant booths.
Sandwiches with sardines
I wasn’t thrilled to learn that the next stop would be for sardine sandwiches (Hout Quari). Sardines are not generally my favorite fish. I assumed I’d be courteous, eat something, and wait for the next stop. This was one of my favorite destinations on the Marrakech cuisine excursions.
Sardines are deboned, seasoned, and formed into meatball-like shapes. They are then filled into bread and served as sandwiches. I was so focused on devouring the sandwich that I didn’t see the spicy sauce on the table that I might have added. I’ll try it again with the spicy sauce since it’s the only thing that could have improved it. And this sandwich will be served again. That was very delectable. I looked for a comparable business in other Moroccan towns I visited but couldn’t locate one.
Couscous cooked from scratch
At this point in the trip, I was completely stuffed. It’s a pity since our couscous stop was with one of my favorite tour shop operators. Consider two grandmothers working behind the counter of a tiny, gloomy diner that sells just two meals.
When we initially came, they made a huge deal about Amanda. While they spoke, they shared many pleasantries, embraces, and kisses. And, as soon as we walked inside their home, they began cooking a supper for us. They delivered us a massive shared plate of the most delectable veggie couscous I’d ever eaten. It included seasoned vegetables and was topped with caramelized onions and raisins. However, as previously said, the restaurant is rather dark, so no couscous photographs! That was excellent, believe me.
Spleen stuffed
During our Marrakech cuisine excursions, we finished the evening with stuffed cow spleen. The spleen is stuffed with ground beef, other organs, and seasonings before being roasted. Maybe it was because I was so full, or perhaps it was because I knew it was spleen before I ate it, but this tasted perfectly fine with me. I took a nibble to test it out, and that was plenty for me. Nonetheless, based by the number of people queuing for this meal, it must be a decent rendition.
Finally, a beautiful message
Our last visit was for homemade cookies and smoothies. As I previously said, I am not a big fan of sweets, but they were tasty and not excessively sugary. The fresh smoothie, on the other hand, was delicious. There were various variations to pick from, including one known as Moroccan Viagra if you’re like that sort of thing. I shared a fruit smoothie and divided many cookies with the other tour participants. That was a fantastic way to cap off a terrific trip.
Schedule Your Marrakech Food Tour Now!
This should be at the top of any schedule for a Marrakech food tours excursion. You’ll learn so much about the history of one of my new favorite cities, and you won’t go hungry. Reservations may be made by clicking on the link below.
The tour company’s owner has a narrative as intriguing as the excursion itself. She is an American ex-pat married to a Moroccan, and the couple lives and runs a company in Marrakech. They have two children and are all passionate travelers across the globe. It was fascinating to spend the evening conversing with her and learning about her life. Her blog may be found at atmarocmama.com.
More images by Chris Griffiths may be seen at atchrisgriffiths.eu.