Despite hopping to or from three different apartments, four different employers, and countless grocery stores and markets, my last three years have seen such an unhealthy dearth of completely pointless, privileged third-world globe-trotting. You know the kind I’m talking about. The before-you-hit-thirty-or-oh-my-god-enter-your-late-twenties global spin. Or in my case, just a diminutive version of it. I won’t be gone for very long (10 days), but in a week I’ll be headed for Marrakesh with my well-traveled pal Jordan. For no reason.
My last serious escape nearly three years ago took me to the Full moon Festival on Thailand’s Ko Phangan, where I limboed underneath a blazing log. You can’t get foolish nonsense like that by sticking around these parts. Okay, maybe you can… but you’ll have a much better excuse to partake if you’ve traveled halfway across the globe. Not that I’m planning on going berserk or anything this time. The tourist culture — mind you, not the “real” culture — is likely unparalleled in un-sobriety in Thailand. Plus, this the winter is the low season for tourism in Morocco. I’ve already signed up for a day-long cooking class! We’re going to spend two or three days in sleepy coastal Essaouria! High Atlas Mountains hike, here we come! I will not swallow fire. Repeat: I will not swallow fire. (Unless it’s just a spicy tagine dish or something like that.)
Not sure yet how — or if — blogging will work out while traveling. But you can be sure there will be a thorough report of everything I ate — out of course, this is vacation — in Morocco. Before I go, I wanted to seek out what questions you’d like to see me answer about authentic Moroccan food. What’s homestyle cooking like? What spices do I need on hand to be best prepared to make any dish? Why did they invent a tagine? What do they serve in the airplane to and from? I have my own set of puzzles; I just thought I’d buffer them with yours. And how about suggestions on what and where to eat?
I’m on a mission now, a mission to find more missions for this trip. Bring it on, please.
55 Responses
Christina
Have a wonderful time! My husband and I went to Morocco for our honeymoon 2.5 years ago. We absolutely loved it. In Essaouria you must have lunch down by the ocean–there are lots of fresh fish restaurants and grills. You can watch the fishermen bring their in their catch in the morning, and then eat wonderful grilled sardines for lunch. It’s amazing. Shopping in Fez and Marrakesh is also a great experience–check out the spice markets.
lexie
i’ve made a few trips to morocco. you will love it–the people are so gracious and friendly and the food–you won’t have one bad meal. be sure to pick up a leather pouf if you’re into that sort of decorating thing–you won’t find them any cheaper!
cheryl
i just came went to morocco this past summer- AMAZING! be prepared for a lot of chicken tagine BUT we went to this amaxing restaurant…looked like the temple of doom…with 10 courses, entertainment and all you can drink for maybe $40 (the most expensive our whole trip) called Dar majana…
also took a camel into the sahara for a 3 day trip which i HIGHLY recommend…that made my summer- it was AMAZING, and i’ve never camped or done anything out doorsy! omar is the guide… http://cameltrekking.com
enjoy- i’m so jealous! i love your blog so i’m interested to read about your trip 🙂 and the food in morocco.
Laura Wehrman
Get yourself a big suitcase and fill it with some preserved lemons and some harissa and a host of spice mixes. Also, visit the night food market in Marrakech. It was declared a World Heritage Site.
Also, take in some mojo from Essaouira. Jimi Hendrix spent a lot of time there. And have an amazing trip!
Aoife
The big Moroccan revelation for me was roast chicken dusted with powdered sugar. Probably more intuitive for you than it was for me, given your latest rice dish, but it changed all my notions of sweet and savory.
cathy
Fabulous. Thank you all so much for the tips… Powdered sugar, Aoife, really?? I gotta see this.
Sung
Pastilla, Bastilla, or however it’s spelled–if you can find it in Morocco, try it. I had it in Fes, Fez, or however it’s spelled, about nine years ago, and so thoroughly enjoyed it. Pigeon in all its sweet, buttery, cinnamony goodness. When I came back to NYC, I looked for it on French/Moroccan menus such as at the former Chez es Saada, and was disappointed each time–chicken in lieu of pigeon just doesn’t cut it. So I’ve stopped looking here (and instead enjoy the memories of possibly the best dish I have ever tasted), but I would try again in Morocco.
So, the question I have for you is: If you have tasted a spectacular dish, should you try to “recreate” it or simply enjoy the memory of it?
cathy
Wow, pigeon here I come! Buttery, cinnamony? Wow. Okay, to answer your question, Sung: I think it’s always worth a try to “recreate” it, and if it absolutely doesn’t work, hey, at least you’ll remember how great the real thing actually was. Once my dad tried to make cha siu, and it was a disaster (tough meat, ketchupy goo on the outside…). Results like that make you respect the good version that much more.
Yvo
Hey Cathy- funny… I know a lot of people adore Moroccan food (as above comments will tell anyone!) but last year, when my friends and I were deciding where to go besides Greece, Morocco came up but was vetoed because we don’t like the food. I’ve had it a handful of times and perhaps I just had really bad experiences, but that was a big deciding factor in our choice (Turkey and Greece were the final decision).
I am interested in trying bastilla again; the one time I had it, puff pastry over a chicken stew of sorts, powdered sugar on top, and… a long strand of hair in my mouth. Obviously that’s not the dish’s downfall but rather the kitchen, but it still grosses me out, the memory of pulling the hair… *shudder*
Yvo
PS My mom totally has a kick ass version of char siu, if you want the recipe, holla.
Laura Wehrman
FYI for the NYC folks: Cafe Mogador on St. Marks serves Moroccan food and makes a lovely Bastilla with chicken. I dream of this dish. It is SUPER easy to make. I’d love to see you make one on your blog, Cathy! Bet you would rock it out!
Carole
haha � the one who is posting the comments 😀
Tomasa Venegas
Hi, what blog platform is this? Can I download it for free or..? I would really appreciate it if you could answer this question! Regards!
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Elela
Everything in Morocco seems more intense than anywhere else in the world, the colors of the landscapes, the passion of the locals, the music of the silence in the desert and the music of the soul in the heart of the Berbers… This is not a story, this is enchanting fairy tale, which has a beginning, but doesn’t seem to have an end. You can find and lose yourself over and over again under the perfectly blue sky of Merzouga. It seems that everything you wanted to see and experience is locked in the heart of Morocco.
I chosed to travel with Morocco Excursions Company for our Morocco tours , Morocco camel trekkingand I will never regret that, the organization, communication, knowledge and flexibility is at a very high standard. As a student following Leisure management course for several years , as a tourist traveled to various countries and as a professional who has worked in the event, tourism and leisure field in The Netherlands and Bulgaria, I can assure you that the quality of the service is at a very high level. People are friendly, hospitable, welcoming, knowledgeable, mastering minimum of five languages (sometimes more). You can be sure that they will give their best to make your experience unforgettable , to make you feel safe and at home. The team will take care of everything, they only thing you should care about is the battery of your camera for pictures and don’t forget to bring your smile and good mood 🙂 laugh is 110% guaranteed.
Moha, our driver was the best driver and guide we could have ever imagined, he took good care of us throughout the trip and he managed to make us feel safe, even tho we had some doubts in the beginning. He has a lot of knowledge of the area that he shared with us, good command of English and other languages (but we couldn’t understand hahaha) good driving skills 🙂 which is very important :D…. forgot to mention great sense of humor, we couldn’t stop laughing the whole time.
Hassan, the owner of the company and also an experienced guide, he is the most friendly person you will ever meet in Morocco, very relaxed , but also very responsible and punctual. As I said before good command of several languages, organized, flexible, communicative, knowledgeable, great sense of humor and here comes the surprise , he is the best singer in the desert. The highlight of the trip is the night at the camp in the middle of the sand dunes, of course the best comes at the end 🙂 With Hassan and his team (or just friends) you will have the most unforgettable evening around the camp fire, singing, playing drums, dancing and sharing the enchanting stories of Sahara and the lifestyle of the nomad people.
Don’t waste any more time and join the magical trip, I WILL…. to be continued…
How not to fall in love with the desert…..
Jess
I booked an 8 day Morocco tour with Morocco Excursions Company for my two sons ( Federico & Angelica Aurora). Hassan was extremely helpful and professional, prompt in his emails. I would have liked they had a great trip because it was my birthday’s gift for them, and it was much more than I expected.
Their driver, Omar, was very trustable and professional. The Riads picked were very beautiful and the food delicious. The places in Morocco were absolutely stunning, specially the desert.
They said me it was the best gift I could have ever done to them.
Thank you Hassan, for everything. Certainly I will choose your company for the next trip.
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