From the moment you set foot in Morocco, the smell of tea and food invade your senses. I was so excited to be in such a colorful place, I didn't know where to look. It was not until I realized I had taken over 100 pictures by the time I reached my riad (typical old houses turned into charm hotels) on the first day, that I knew that this was a place I would not forget... I spent a week in this beautiful country, and I can honestly not say what was my best meal. Each was better than the one before.
Upon arrival, we were very worried because word on the grapevine was that its quite hard to find alcohol in restaurants. We thought we were going to be miserable! But not to fear- Most restaurants are well stocked with enough Moroccan wine to keep you company at dinner- and believe it or not it is surprisingly good!
We were lucky enough to find a cookery school in the town of Essaouira. The beautiful Atelier Mandala, is a perfect oasis for all foodies. Nour; our teacher taught us how to make a wonderful Chicken Tajine with sweet onion and dried raisins. I was so shocked at how easy and how incredibly delicious it was. We spent a wonderful afternoon there, learning all about the different spices used to create these dishes. Nour later took us through the local market, where I packed up a kilo worth of a multitude of wonderful spices-
We spent the rest of the holiday eating delicacies such as couscous, tchakchouka, Moroccan Salads, and Pastilla... When we woke up every morning we had a breakfast of a selection of Moroccan breads served with the most wonderful honey and jam that I've had in a long time... Afternoon chill outs, accompanied by mint tea (served out of a special pot) are not to miss. Locals offer it in all their shops, and its only polite to have some. At first I was a bit taken aback by how sweet it was- But later learned that the sweetness removes the bitterness of the mint leaves, and quenches your thirst within seconds.
If you are not very familiar with Moroccan food, I recommend you get on it. Pronto!!! Jump on the next flight to Marrakesh, or at least visit your closest Moroccan eatery asap.
Message me if you want any of these yummy recipes-so good!
xashton
