City Spotlight :: Marrakech - Food edition

 

Whenever I go to a new place, I always do a routine research of the weather, local customs and top sights. I also jot down a few key phrases in the language, such as "hello, "goodbye," "thank you," and "how much?" Most importantly, I google the regional cuisine and make a list of dishes to try.

I think food is a vital part of any culture and history. And I make it my goal to sample the food that the region is known for.

I did the same research on the food in Marrakech and added a few dishes to my "must try" list.

STARTERS/APPETIZERS

Every meal in Marrakech comes with a slab of bread. The bread isn't anything special, but it is a necessary accompaniment to the other dishes. In fact, Moroccans traditionally eat with their hands and use bread as an utensil. I found it perfect for dipping into sauces and soup.

Almost every meal also comes with a tomato dipping sauce, which tastes like mild salsa.

Marinated, mixed olives

MAIN COURSE

TAGINES - this is a dish typically found in North Africa. It is named after the clay pot in which it is cooked. The pot has a narrow, circular base and a cone-shaped top. Once you take off the cone-shaped top, you find stew-like, braised meats - still bubbling. I can cross this item of my list, many times over. I think I had at least one tagine a day.

Kefta tagine, a tomato based tagine with meatballs and a cracked egg.

Beef tagine with veggies

Kefta

Lamb with tomato and onions. This was by far the best tagine in Marrakech - tender, fall-off-the-bone meat!

Lamb tagine with prunes and almonds

Another kefta tagine, this time with olives

COUSCOUS - this is a typical Berber dish that most of you are already familiar with. Here, it is served under various kinds of meat and vegetables.

KEBABS/BROCHETAS -  The night market stands have heaping piles of kebabs that are cooked to order.

Mixed kebabs

Lamb

SIDE DISHES:

HARIRA - This is a traditional Moroccan soup filled with various vegetables and a small amount of meat. Very delicious and hearty; perfect for the winter months.

*Just to note how different the prices can get, the soup pictured above was 3 dirhams (8 dirhams = 1 dollar) and the soup pictured below was 30 dirhams. The 3 dirham one was much better in my opinion.

PASTILLA - this is a meat pie, traditionally made with pigeon meat. I was pretty close to ordering a pigeon pastilla, but decided against it. After being surrounded by some nasty pigeons in San Francisco, I just could not bring myself to eat one. I did try a chicken and almond pastilla though.

Other miscellaneous dishes:

The best sausages ever, flash grilled to order

Mixed,  fried seafood

Lentil soup - sooo good!

Chicken sandwich, "westernized" with ketchup and mayo

Croquette, eggplant and green pepper

Chili sauce

DESSERTS:

Date ice cream

Crepes with honey

Homemade pastry similar to a French macaron

MOROCCAN MINT TEA:

All meals should end with Moroccan mint tea. The mint here is very fragrant.

All in all, I had a pleasant culinary experience in Marrakech. I hope to recreate some of the dishes in my own kitchen, or find a restaurant that serves authentic Moroccan cuisine. :D