Tag: briouats street food

  • Morocco: A practical guide, unsolicited opinions and  some food heresy

    Morocco: A practical guide, unsolicited opinions and some food heresy


    Morocco Series Part 1: Practical and Useful Tips, Unsolicited Opinions, and Culinary Controversies

    Weโ€™d long wanted to visit Moroccoโ€”a country where African, Arab, Berber, and European influences mix together in a kaleidoscope of color, sound, and occasional sensory overload. We came to see the cities and villages with their unique architecture, to get lost in the labyrinthine souks (on purpose, mostly), and to better understand Moroccoโ€™s ancient traditions. But letโ€™s be honest: we mostly came for the Sahara.

    Valentin, wife and friends on camels in the Sahara

    Sunset in the Sahara

    Uganda gave us wildlife. The airline gave us a detour to Istanbul that defied physics. And yet, against all odds, we eventually landed in Morocco. We spent 18 days in Morocco, executing one of our loop itinerariesโ€”efficient, feasible and just at the edge of being chaotic but without triggering a logistical meltdown.

    Morocco tour map

    Our Morocco tour map (from Casablanca to Casablanca)

    Before diving into the details, credit where itโ€™s due: Yassine, our travel fixer, was very good. He offered great suggestions, handled bookings that we could not make, and had someone on call whenever things got wobbly. He even reimbursed us for a hotel that didnโ€™t live up to our expectationsโ€”a rare move in the travel industry, where โ€œcustomer serviceโ€ often means โ€œweโ€™ll get back to you never.โ€ Thanks again, Yassine.

    The Moroccan Dirham (MAD) was worth about US$0.10. Canadian dollars? too exoticโ€”donโ€™t bother. Stick to Euros, Pounds, or USD. ATMs are plentiful, Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, and AMEX is mostly treated like a distant cousin who shows up uninvited. Always ask for a receipt when exchanging money. You may need it later, especially if you try to convert leftover Dirhams backโ€”though frankly, itโ€™s easier to spend them on snacks and souvenirs you didnโ€™t know you needed.

    Moroccans are persuasive. They can sell sand to desert people. Youโ€™ll walk into a shop โ€œjust browsingโ€ and leave with a lamp, a rug, and a leather pouf youโ€™ll have to leave at the airport because of overweight. Haggling is expected and oddly enjoyable once you accept that the first price is fiction. If you agree on a price, buy the itemโ€”backing out is considered rude. Think of it as theatre with a financial twist.

    Morocco offers everything from backpacker hostels to palatial hotels. Most tourists opt for riadsโ€”traditional homes with courtyards, often located inside medinas (the old, historic, and often walled part of a city). Some are stunning. Others areโ€ฆ character-building. A beautiful riad is a dream. A bad one is a medieval Airbnb. Do your homework before booking, especially if you value sleep and clean, functioning showers.

    Tipping is customary and expected:

    • Hotel porters: 5 MAD per bag
    • Medina trolley porters: 20โ€“50 MAD (could even go up to double) depending on distance and drama
    • Hotel staff: 5โ€“10 MAD per person/day
    • Restaurant servers: 10%
    • Public toilets: 1 MAD (worth it)
    • Drivers: 75โ€“100 MAD/day
    • Guides: 80โ€“120 MAD/day
    • Camel drivers: 20โ€“30 MAD per person
    • Desert camp staff: 20โ€“30 MAD per person

    Morocco is generally safe, but donโ€™t tempt fate. Use common sense when walking in unknown places, especially at night. Keep valuables close and carry your bag in front of you especially in souks and beaches. If youโ€™re traveling with a driver, take your bag when you leave the carโ€”heโ€™s a driver, not a bodyguard. And yes, pickpockets exist. Theyโ€™re fast and very discreet.

    Morocco is diverse, but modesty is appreciated. The traditional โ€œdjellabaโ€ is worn by locals, but tourists arenโ€™t expected to adopt it unless theyโ€™re feeling theatrical. In rural or conservative areas, modest clothing helps avoid unwanted attention.

    Two types:

    • Grand taxis (big, usually Mercedes, intercity)
    • Petit taxis (small, city-bound, take up to 3 persons)

    Always negotiate the fare unless the driver agrees to use the meterโ€”which is about as common as coconut trees in Sahara.

    I read that they just introduced Uber in Casablanca and Marrakech. Donโ€™t know how reliable it is. Worth checking.

    We arrived with high hopes and empty stomachs. Letโ€™s start with the basics: olive oil here is fantasticโ€”and so cheap we halfโ€‘seriously wished weโ€™d hired a tanker to haul it across the Atlantic back to Canada. The same goes for saffron (minus the tanker, but definitely for the quality and price).

    Moroccan cuisine is famous, and rightly soโ€”especially the street food. Briouats (crispy pastries stuffed with meat or cheese) were addictive. Tangia (not tagine!), a slow-cooked stew of beef or lamb with preserved lemon and spices, was a highlightโ€”especially in Marrakechโ€™s Jemaa El Fna square, where the food is good and the chaos is for free.

    Tangia pots in Jemaa el-fnaa square in Marrakech

    Tangia Pots

    Couscous deserves its reputation. In Morocco, itโ€™s fluffy and delicate. Itโ€™s not just techniqueโ€”its knowledge passed down through generations and seasoned with love.

    But then thereโ€™s the sweet-savory conundrum, but much sweeter than savory. Moroccans love sugar. Not just in desserts, but in main courses. For someone who prefers salty, spicy, and hot food, this was a challenge. Take pastilla: a sweet chicken pie topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Itโ€™s like dessert crashed into dinner and nobody called the authorities.

    Now, brace yourself for heresy: I donโ€™t like tagine. There, I said it. The ones I had in restaurants were underwhelmingโ€”boiled meat or vegetables with a hint of spice and a lot of sweetness. Maybe homemade tagine is better. Maybe I just donโ€™t like boiled meat. Either way, it wasnโ€™t my cup of tea (pun intended).

    Speaking of tea: I donโ€™t drink it unless Iโ€™m so sick I forget my own name. So I canโ€™t comment on Moroccan mint tea, except to say the pouring technique is impressive enough to warrant its own TED Talk. Pouring tea from height is part of a hospitality ritual to guests, symbolizing respect and the host’s skill. It also aerates the tea to enhance its aroma, mixing the ingredients (tea, mint, and sugar) in the pot, creating a layer of foam (or “crown”) on top, and quickly cooling the hot tea to a drinkable temperature. 

    Whatโ€™s interesting is that in Asturias, the region in Northern Spain which is probably the farthest from Morocco than any other part of Spain, they pour cider (which is their main alcoholic beverage) in the same way. It is a ritual called escanciar, and they say it releases the cider aromas.  I could not find any connection between the two practices, which probably evolved separately.

    Pouring tea in Morocco

    That’s how they pour tea in Morocco. This is what I call skill.

    Our tour of Morocco started and ended in Casablanca. I cannot say that we covered the entire country, but I feel that we did not miss any important spot, except perhaps Meknes that was undergoing complete renovations.

    We landed in Casablanca and Muhammad, the driver who self-proclaimed himself as โ€œthe best driver in Moroccoโ€ picked us up from the airport and drove us to Rabat, our first stop on the 18-day visit.  He was supposed to be with us only for this short drive, but ended up driving us the entire tour. He is funny, knowledgeable and helpful. He always went beyond his responsibilities as a driver to make our trip more efficient and pleasurable (including some haggling on the price of olive oil).  We liked him very much and I am sure that he could be as good a guide as he is a driver, maybe even better…  Just to clarify that in Morocco, drivers are not allowed to also be tourist guides.

    Eighteen days in Morocco gave us souks, sugar bombs, Sahara dreams, and a driver who did a great job. Between haggling theatrics, riad roulette, and food that ranged from divine couscous to dessertโ€‘crashed dinners, we discovered that Morocco is equal parts chaos, charm, and culinary contradictions.

    Thereโ€™s more to come about Morocco. If youโ€™re interested, come back soon and youโ€™ll find more posts.

    • Loop itinerary: 18 days of efficient, borderline chaotic travel without a meltdown.
    • Money matters: Dirham โ‰ˆ US$0.10; Canadian dollars = exotic paperweights.
    • Shopping & haggling: Theatre with a financial twist; expect to leave with lots of stuff you didnโ€™t plan on.
    • Accommodation: Riads range from dreamy courtyards to medieval Airbnb nightmares.
    • Tipping cheat sheet: From 1 MAD for toilets to 120 MAD for guides.
    • Safety tips: Morocco is safe, but pickpockets are faster than your reflexes.
    • Dress code: Modesty appreciated.
    • Transport: Grand vs petit taxis; meters are mythical. Uber may have just arrived in Casablanca/Marrakech.
    • Food adventures:
      • Briouats = addictive pastries.
      • Tangia = slowโ€‘cooked heaven.
      • Couscous = fluffy perfection.
      • Pastilla = dessert crashed into dinner.
      • Tagine = boiled meat disappointment (heresy admitted).
    • Olive oil and saffron – bring an extra suitcaseโ€ฆ and take home as much as you can.
    • Mint tea ritual: Pouring from height = Moroccan hospitality.
    • Driver Muhammad: Selfโ€‘proclaimed โ€œbest driver in Morocco,โ€ funny, helpful, and oliveโ€‘oil negotiator extraordinaire.

    What should I know before visiting Morocco?
    Money, haggling, tipping, safety, and food expectations all matter more than you think.

    Is Moroccan food spicy?
    Not usually โ€” itโ€™s more sweet than spicy, which may surprise some travelers.

    Are riads better than hotels?
    Often yes, but quality varies wildly. Research is essential.

    Next: Part2 โ€“ Rabat and Tangier: The Cities You Visit Before the Real Drama Starts โ†’