After spending many weeks in Morocco, I just had a first-hand encounter with Moroccan BBQ.
I was aboard a bus from Fez to Chefchaouen when it stopped mid-way for a planned halt. During bus travels, I’m used to grabbing a fast sandwich or a bag of chips. This proved to be a wonderful adjustment.
Locals promptly formed a queue at a butcher counter and started placing orders. I took a step back to take it all in and figure out what was going on.
I shortly discovered that everyone bought fresh meat and cooked it at a nearby grill. The whole rest stop started to smell fantastic as soon as the meat reached the fire. I eagerly waited in line to partake in the Moroccan Barbecue.
$2 USD and took the order of the guy behind me in line. I pointed to what the people ahead of me had ordered and stated that I just needed enough for one person in my best dreadful bad Spanish. Please, carne per una persona, I asked the butcher. He swiftly weighed and handed me what seemed to be a seasoned hamburger patty. He received his 20 dirham payout.
I took the platter to a neighboring grill, where the chef cut the meat into little breakfast sausage-like bits. He then loaded the meat onto a double-sided metal grill and took my order.
0.50 Dollars and returned my dish to my table. Not only did the fifty cents cover the cost of grilling, but also a half loaf of fresh bread. Not even 5 minutes later, the guy summoned me to collect my order. I paid the 5 dirham grill cost.
Moroccan Barbeque was without a doubt one of the finest roadside lunches I’ve ever tasted. That was much superior to the normal convenience shop crap I used to shove down my throat before reboarding the bus.
If you ever find yourself in a situation like this, don’t be put off by the large dead pig dangling in front of you. Go in line, make your best clumsy try at whichever language you think would assist, and have some Moroccan BBQ. You’ll be happy you did.
Visiting other places in Morocco? Check out our other tasty guides:
- Marrakech Food Tours: Best Walking Food Tour of Marrakech, Morocco
- Falling for Marrakech
- Chefchaouen: The Blue Pearl of Morocco