Join Morocco Today Tours as we take you on a mouthwatering journey through the souks, rooftop restaurants, and street food stalls of Marrakech — where every meal tells a story steeped in Berber tradition and Moroccan spice.
May 25, 2022
Marrakech is a city that speaks to all the senses — and nowhere is that more true than at the table. At Morocco Today Tours, we believe that food is one of the most powerful ways to connect with a culture, and Marrakech offers one of the most extraordinary culinary experiences on earth.
Our journey begins at Jemaa el-Fna, the great beating heart of Marrakech's medina. As dusk falls, the square transforms into the world's largest open-air restaurant. Smoke rises from dozens of grills loaded with merguez sausages, skewered kefta, and whole lamb heads. Vendors call out in a dozen languages, and the smell of cumin, harissa, and charred meat fills the warm desert air. This is where Morocco Today Tours always brings guests on their first evening — there is simply nowhere better to feel the pulse of the city.
From the square, we venture deep into the souks to discover the city's famous spice market. Mountains of saffron, ras el hanout, dried rose petals, and preserved lemons sit behind the counters of tiny family-run shops whose owners have been trading for generations. Our local Berber guides explain the stories behind each spice — how ras el hanout can contain up to thirty different ingredients, or how argan oil has been used in Moroccan kitchens for centuries before the rest of the world discovered it.
"To eat in Morocco is to understand Morocco. Every tagine is a love letter to the land." — Zaid Boutachtouin, Founder of Morocco Today Tours
No culinary journey through Marrakech is complete without a slow-cooked tagine eaten in a traditional riad. Morocco Today Tours partners with several family-run riads in the medina where guests sit in tiled courtyards and are served lamb tagine with prunes and almonds, or chicken with preserved lemon and olives — dishes that have been passed down through generations with barely a recipe in sight. The flavours are complex, warming, and deeply comforting.
We also love to take our guests to the Mellah, Marrakech's historic Jewish quarter, where the influence of centuries of cultural exchange is evident in the food. Here, sweet pastilla — a flaky pastry filled with pigeon, almonds, and cinnamon dusted with icing sugar — tells the story of a city shaped by Berber, Arab, Andalusian, and Jewish traditions all at once.
A culinary journey through Marrakech with Morocco Today Tours is about far more than eating well. It is about understanding the history, the culture, and the warmth of the Moroccan people through the food they are most proud of. Every flavour tells a story, and we are honoured to help our guests hear it.
