Posts Tagged ‘Moroccan salads’

Moroccan Food Tour, A Private Cooking Vacation to Morocco

Friday, December 4th, 2015
Moroccan Tajine

Moroccan Tajine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the populated ancient medinas in the Imperial Cities to the dusty Desert region to the great Southern rural villages, seaside towns and farm communities, a Travel Exploration Moroccan Food Tour delivers the perfect opportunities to discover the culture of food and art. The cooks in the royal kitchens of Fes, Meknes, Marrakech, Rabat and Tetouan refined Moroccan cuisine over the centuries and created the basis for what is known as Moroccan cuisine today. Moroccan cooking is enhanced with fruits, dried and fresh — apricots, dates, figs, and raisins, to name a few. Lemons preserved in a salt-lemon juice mixture bring a unique face to many Moroccan chicken and pigeon dishes. Nuts are prominent; pine nuts, almonds, and pistachios show up in all sorts of unexpected places. Moroccan sweets are rich and dense confections of cinnamon, almond, and fruit perfumes that are rolled in filo dough, soaked in honey, and stirred into puddings. Spices are used extensively in Moroccan food.

Journey across Morocco on a 10 Day Cooking Vacation to Morocco. Discover spectacular Trade Routes & Spice Markets, the world of Moroccan Street Food, Bake Bread with the Berbers and Make Your own Tajine at a Moroccan cookery class. A Taste of Morocco is a Culinary Food Tour Adventure for All Ages and Perfect for the Entire Family!

Moroccan Spices

Moroccan Spices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book a Tour or call (800) 787-8806). Let us be your Culinary Guide to Discovering Moroccan Cuisine.

A Taste of Morocco Food Tour – Trip Highlights

Fresh Grill at Casablanca’s Marche Centrale

Fes Food Tour – Souks Tasting Trails

Pastilla Making with a Daada Chef

Cooking Class in Marrakech

Breadbaking with the Berbers

Tasting Marrakech Food Tour in Djemaa El Fna Square

Fes Food Tour

Fes Food Tour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A TASTE OF MOROCCO – 10 DAY ITINERARY:

DAY 1: CASABLANCA – FRESH GRILL AT THE PORT – FES  

Pick up from Casablanca airport. Start your visit at the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world that stands besides the sea and boasts stunning views along with breathtaking arches and zellij tiled walls, floors and fountains. Lunch at Casablanca’s Marche Centrale.. A taste of Casablanca while you purchase fresh fish from the Market, then hand it over to the locals to cook up.Discover the Art Deco Architecture in Casablanca. Welcome Cocktail and Dinner at your Riad in Fes. Overnight at a Boutique Riad or Hotel in Fes.

DAY 2: FES – DISCOVER THE WORLD OF MOROCCAN STREET FOOD

Breakfast and early Rise. Begin your day by discovering the world of Moroccan streetfood in Fes. You will visit three different food souks allowing the chance to try traditional Moroccan street food  including dried meats, milawi, harsha, briwats, spicy sardines, spicy potato cakes, soups, olives and more. At the honey souk we’re you’ll be able to taste an array of delicious wild honeys, discuss their flavors and health-giving properties and find out why honey is so important in Moroccan cooking and Islamic culture. Investigate traditional cooking methods by visiting a furnatchi where the water for the communal bath house ‘hammam’ is also heated, and a 400 year old ‘furan’ or communal oven and bakery. Discover the world of spices and their uses and the secrets of the male-oriented domain of the tea den under the  guidance of a culinary leader and story-teller. Or learn to bake bread in the 400 year old community oven with the baker overseeing your hands-on efforts. Take your hot bread to the honey souk to try it with 8 artisanal wild honeys, aged butter or khlia, spicy dried beef. The Moroccan Culinary Experience The hands-on cooking classes take place right in the heart of a family house – the kitchen. This is a very intimate experience, staying in a villa with the family and being immersed into family life in Morocco. You’ll learn the intricacies of Moroccan cuisine and then of course savour your creations. Enjoy Moroccos’ Dar Batha Garden and Museum in the afternoon. Afternoon Tea at Les Jardin De Bierhn with views of this Andalusian Garden. Overnight at a Boutique Riad or Hotel in Fes.

Moroccan Bastillla

Moroccan Bastillla

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 3: FES – PASTILLA (BASTILLA) OR PASTRY MAKING IN FES

Following breakfast, you will be taken you to the souk to shop for your first cooking class.During your first class you will see how ouarka (the dough used in b’steeya) is made and perhaps have time to buy a few spices to take home. Lunch to follow. Depart for a guided tour of Fes el Bali (Old Fes) to learn some of Fes’s history, tour the souks, see the mosques and medersas and visit the famous leather tanneries.

Within the old medina, we will the following historical sites: 

Medersa Bou Inania: An (Islamic school) founded by Abu Inan Faris that is highly decorated fromfloor to ceiling. The medersa is one of the few religious places in Morocco that is accessible to non- Islamic tourists.

Kairaouine Mosque: Morocco’s second largest mosque. The Kairaouine Mosque became the home of the West’s first university and the world’s foremost center of learning at the beginning of the second millennium.

Berber Carpet Demonstration:

The Famous Exhibition of Antique and Modern Carpets is one of the places in Fès el Bali where you can see a Berber carpet demonstration. You will be offered mint tea and follow your guide up a coil of stairs to a small area to watch carpets being made by young girls who come from the mountains to show tourists how Berber carpets are made

Shopping in the Medina: We will visit the baboosh souk where they sell beautiful hand made shoes, cafdans, pottery, local Fassis crafts and fabric  Evening at Leisure. Overnight at a Boutique Riad or Hotel in Fes.

DAY 4: FES –  IFRANE – AZRO – ERFOUD – MERZOUGA

Breakfast at your Riad. Take the road to Morocco’s Sahra Desert. En route stop in Ifrane for Pastries. Continue the road to Erfoud Camel Trek into the Moroccan Sahara Desert. Overnight at a Luxury Desert Camp in the Erg Chebbi Dunes of Merzouga.

DAY 5: MERZOUGA – RISSANI – AIT OUZZINE – NKOB

Breakfast in the Sahara Desert. Morning exploration. Take the road to the town of Rissani. Visit the local souk and then experience a lesson on making Madfouna. Madfouna is the local stuffed pizza indigenous of the Sahara region. Continue the road via Alnif to Ait Ouzzine. Overnight in a Boutique Kasbah Hotel in Nkob.

Marrakech Cooking Class

Marrakech Cooking Class

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 6: NKOB – BREAD BAKING OF TRADITIONAL MADFOUNA IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH THE BERBERS – OUARZAZATE.

Breakfast in Nkob. Visit Ait Ouzzine, a traditional Ait Atta Village nestiled in the Jebel Saghro and Atlas Mountains. Morning tea and greet the family. Then take the road into the mountains. Participate and learn how to make Bourafain, a traditional bread of the Berbers made in the mountains with volcanic rock. Bourafin consists of dough, secret spices, herbs and animal fat that is stuffed and combined into a bread that raises high and wide. Aït Ouzzine is a Berber village inhabited by over 300 families who live in beautifully painted crenulated kasbahs, with their own henna fields, water wells, livestock and gardens. This peaceful village is tucked away along an impressive desert route connecting the Draa Valley (Tansikht) and Rissani. Meet a local Berber family, partake in a cooking lesson of how to make traditional bread and a tajine.  Explore and tour the village by foot. Walk in the green fields and see how the traditional Berbers live with their gardens of herbs, live stock, and henna plants.Explore the village. Henna Party with the Berbers. Take the road to Ouarzazate.Overnight in Boutique Riad or Hotel in Ouarzazate with Atlas Mountain Views.

DAY 7: OUARZAZATE – AIT BENHADDOU KASBAH – OLD ROAD OF CARAVANS – TELOUET – MARRAKECH.

Breakfast in Ouarzazate at your Riad. Visit the Oasis of Fint, then take the road to visit Ait Benhaddou Kasbah, Kasbah Telouet. Continue the road to Marrakech. En route stop at an Argan Cooperative. Tasting of Argan oil and Amlou. Lesson on how Amlous is made. Lunch in a local restaurant with cuisine made with Argan oil. Overnight at a Boutique Riad or Hotel in Marrakech.

DAY 8: MARRAKECH

Breakfast at your Riad. Start the day with a visit of the Majorelle Gardens, then explore Marrakech’s most important sites – the Bahia Palaces, Ben Youssef Medersa, Saadian Tombs. Mid-day discovery at the Koutoubia Mosque and its gardens. Lunch in the medina at Riad Monceau, a Riad with a leafy garden that specializes in haute Moroccan cuisine.  Shop the souks of Marrkaehc. Explore Souk Semmarine and enjoy the Djemaa El Fna Square at dusk.  Before heading back to your Riad, discover our Tasting Marrakech Food Tour which is a Medina food crawl across Djemaa El Fna SquareExotic eats of snail soup, sheep’s heads and more. Taste or watch. It’s all a food experience. Overnight at a Boutique Riad or Hotel in Marrakech in Marrakech.

DAY 9: MARRAKECH – COOKING CLASS – AFTERNOON AT LEISURE – INDULGE IN A MOROCCAN HAMMAM

10:00am – 14:30 (2:30opm) – Cooking Workshop The workshops are conducted by a dada (traditional Moroccan cook) or a chef from our Moroccan restaurant, and are held at the hotel. Small groups of maximum 10 participants work alongside a translator (Arabic/English/French), using easy-to-use modern equipment found in everyday kitchens. At the end of each workshop, participants dine on the meal they have prepared. At a typical half-day workshop, one learns to prepare an appetizer and a main dish, or a main dish and dessert.

Cooking Class Marrakech Overview:

Greeting and overview of Moroccan cuisine by an English speaking interpreter

Demonstration of how Moroccan bread is made

Visit a communal bread oven and hotel spice market

Work and cook at your own workstation alongside the Dades to prepare a delicious Moroccan meal

Moroccan Meal Description: Two Moroccan cooked salads, Chicken & Lemon Tajine with Preserved Lemons & Olives. Pastilla with Milk for Desert.

Participate in a Moroccan Tea Ceremony

Dine on the mouth-watering lunch that you have prepared

Option to add Moroccan wine pairings  

Zaalook- Eggplant salad- (Starter)

First Course: Tagine beef and prunes

Second Course: Fish with chermoula (a marinade)

Dessert: Carrot orange dish

Mint tea

Menu 2

Seafood Bastilla – Pastry with seafood (Starter)

First Course: Chicken lemon

Second Course: Vegetarian couscous

Dessert: Gazelle horn and mint tea

And many more menus are available.

Spend the remainder of the evening at leisure (this is an opportunity to return to the souk to shop or perhaps to visit the local hammam).  Overnight at a Boutique Riad or Hotel in Marrakech.

DAY 10: MARRAKECH – CASABLANCA DEPARTURE

Departure from Marrakech or Casablanca

For more information about A Private Cooking Vacation to Morocco

Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara Desert,Berber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration
Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We offer Private Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or + 1 (212) 618882681 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

Eating in Djemaa-El-Fna Square, In Marrakesh, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010
Dinner in the Djemaa El Fna Square
Dinner in the Djemaa El Fna Square, in Marrakesh, Photo by Mary Mimouna

Djemaa El Fna Square is in the heart of MarrakeshMorocco is like no where else on earth, and an adventure not to be missed after dusk.  Courageous travelers in Morocco will definitely want to eat in the Djemaa El Fna Square.  Tourists can avoid any chance of illness simply by sticking to foods that are actually cooked in front of them, and passed over to be eaten off of a clean paper.  The Moroccan family in the photo above is waiting for their main course to come out of the cooking pot in front of them.Whether you choose to eat or not, just a stroll through the Djemaa El Fna Square in the evening can provide some very unique photo opportunities.

Freshly Cooked Seafood in the Djemaa El Fna Square in Marrakesh, photo by Mary Mimouna
Freshly Cooked Seafood in the Djemaa El Fna Square in Marrakesh, Photo by Mary Mimouna

One of the best meals to have in Djemaa El Fna Square is a variety of types of freshly-cooked white fish including sole.  These are served with French fries, and a variety of salads eaten with bread out of a dish or off of a clean paper, consisting separately of mashed cooked eggplant with a squeeze of lemon and salt; tomato, onion, and parsley salad; and roasted green pepper salad.  You might also want to try chicken or beef brochettes (shish-ke-babs) roasted over a fire, or roasted whole chicken.  Snails are served from special carts.  If you have never tried snails, Morocco is definitely the place to do so.  Various bottles of soda pop are served as drinks.  For most tourists, this is the best option.  (Water and tea might be available, but you will be unwittingly sharing a cup with many other dinners, so these are best avoided in the Square.)

Cooked Sheepheads in Djemaa El Fna Squrare, in Marrakesh, Photo by Mary Mimouna;
Cooked Sheepheads in Djemaa El Fna Square, in Marrakesh, Photo by Mary Mimouna

Really adventurous diners will want to try sheep heads in Djemaa El Fna Square.  While most people in the West aren’t aware of it, bologna is made out of the tender meat of the face.  You can also try tongue, brains (a Moroccan favorite), heart, liver, or pancreas stuffed with rice and currants.  Some tourists may just want to take pictures of these things to send back home.

Once you have completed your meal, you step behind the serving cart, where a man is ready with soap and ladles of clean water to let you wash your hands.

Either before dinner, at sunset, or after eating, you may wish to sit up in Café Argana, a landmark in Djemaa El Fna Square where you can enjoy a spectacular view of the lively and exotic Square while sipping Moroccan coffee or tea.

Djemaa El Fna Square at Night, Photo by Mary Mimouna
Djemaa El Fna Square at Night, Taken from Café Argana, Photo by Mary Mimouna

The Djemaa El Fna Square is located next to the main entrance to the Marrakesh Souks.  A meal in the Square can also be a great start or finish to your Marrakesh one day tour or even a Sahara Desert Tour .

For more information about Eating in Djemaa El Fna Square or a Marrakesh Tour

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial CitiesSeaside Resorts,Sahara DesertBerber villagesA Taste of MoroccoMagical Kasbahs, Ruins & WaterfallsAbsolute Morocco, The Best of MarrakechFes, and Ouarzazate

Discover The Best of Morocco - Travel Exploration

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806  or 1 (917)703-2078  and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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