Marrakech: Morocco’s Mesmerising Red City 🐫

Welcome to Marrakech, Morocco’s mesmerising “Red City”, a bustling destination famous for its exciting culture and vivid colours. Tackle Marrakech in numerous ways: take the city head-on and lose yourself in the maze-like medina, where souks brim with treasures, then unwind and rejuvenate your senses amidst the beauty of the city's gardens and palaces.

Marrakech was founded in 1062 and has seen a rich history of changing powers, primarily including Islamic dynasties. While there were brief European colonial interests in the area, the city's enduring historical and cultural identity is deeply rooted in its Islamic heritage.

Moroccan Cuisine

Moroccan cuisine boasts a diverse culinary heritage shaped by centuries of cross-cultural exchanges with various societies and nations, including the Berbers, Arabs, Andalusians, Turks, French, and more.

Ingredients such as spices, herbs, fruits, nuts, and preserved elements like lemons, olives, and dried fruits are used extensively in Moroccan cooking.

Moroccans love sugar and have a huge sweet tooth, whether that be swirling a sugar cube or two into a small cup of mint tea, the abundance of delectable pastries, or the use of fruit throughout savoury dishes.

Must-Try Staple Foods 🐟

Tagine

Tagine, or tajine, refers to a Moroccan cooking dish and the flavourful stews it produces. With its distinct conical lid, this pot is designed for slow-cooking meats, fish, or vegetables. It is often accompanied by spices, fruits, nuts, and honey, resulting in tender, moist dishes traditionally served with bread or couscous. The lid's unique design ensures that steam condenses and returns to the stew, preserving flavours and moisture. Popular types of tagine include chicken, mrouzia (lamb), and kefta (meatballs). Restaurant Tiznit does several fantastic versions of tagine.

The dish reflects centuries of cultural exchange; Andaluscians brought olive oil, Arabians brought spices, the French protectorate brought cafe culture, and Jewish Moors introduced preserved elements such as Lemon.

Tangia

Tangia, not to be confused with tagine, is made by cooking lamb with saffron, cumin, garlic, lemons, and olive oil inside a clay urn. This dish is particularly popular in Marrakech, where the urns are placed in the coals of a hammam for an overnight slow cook, resulting in incredibly tender meat. The Tangia Stalls located along Derb Semmarine provide a very authentic experience to eat this dish.

Pastilla

Pastilla (the Spanish word for pastry), also known as bestilla or b'stilla, is a sweet and savoury pastry filled with spiced chicken or pigeon meat, eggs, almonds, sugar, and a blend of spices. It's a time-consuming yet rewarding dish, with the layered pastry achieving a delightful golden crispiness when baked. A dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon adds the finishing touch. The pastillas from La Restaurant at La Maison Arabe Hotel, dating back to 1946, are crispy, soft, and irresistible.

Couscous

Couscous, Morocco's cherished national dish, comprises steamed semolina grains served with diverse meat, vegetable, or legume stews. Great couscous can be found everywhere, but the Couscous Bouhaloo (roasted chicken, almonds, apricots, caramelised onions, and raisins) at Cafe Clock is worth noting - a restaurant also famous for its live music and camel burgers!

Harira

Harira, a cherished Moroccan soup, is a hearty blend of tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, and aromatic spices like cumin and coriander. Often enjoyed during Ramadan to break fast, it's a nourishing and filling dish. To finish, Harira is often served with bread, chebakia (a fried pastry with honey and sesame seeds), or dates.

8 Further Recommendations 📝

1. Sample delectable Moroccan classics for outstanding prices at El Bahja.

2. Simple Restaurant Marrakech nails their tagines (and mocktails!)

3. Comptoir Darna offers diverse Moroccan and global cuisine and is also one of the top nightlife spots in the city.

4. Find outstanding Lebanese and Syrian-inspired food at Naranji.

5. Check out Kabana for amazing views of the Koutoubia, Mediterranean cuisine and poke bowls.

6. Grand Café de la Poste does superb French cuisine in a historic setting.

7. Located deep in the Medina is Dar Yacout, where you’ll find historical surroundings and wonderful Morrocan flavours.

8. Visit Amal in Gueliz for their social cause and delicious food. Here, local Women are taught skills such as how to cook to create employment opportunities. Currently, women make up only 25% of Morocco’s workforce.

A Recipe to Make at Home 🧑🏻‍🍳

Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons