Category: Food and drink

Diarrhea in Morocco: Tips for preventing and handling the most common travel sickness

A-Z, Food and drink

Diarrhea is one of the most common health problems that you have to deal with on a vacation in Morocco. How to protect yourself from it and what to do when you are haunted by “Montezuma’s revenge”, is revealed in this article.

How do you get infected with diarrhea and what can be done to prevent it? About 40% of all travelers are affected by the unpleasant disturbances of the digestive tract between the third and the ninth day of travel. They spend more time on the toilet than outside their hotels. The infections of the stomach and intestines are usually caused by contaminated water, unpeeled fruit or uncooked food.

Diarrhea in Morocco

Food Hygiene and Diarrhea: cook it, boil it or forget it!

The best precaution therefore is to use a particularly hygienic handling of food in keeping with the motto: cook it, boil it, peel it or forget it!; which, however, cannot always be applied. Meat and fish should always be thoroughly cooked or baked. So the couscous and tagine dishes, which are offered everywhere, are on the safe side. Read more

Cafés and Restaurants in Marrakech: Restaurant Jama

Food and drink

A tranquil atmosphere, traditional Moroccan dishes, low prices and an ideal location. Restaurant Jama is a real insider tip for eating out in the southern medina of Marrakech.

If you are going out for dinner in Marrakech with the mere goal of satisfy your hunger, you don’t have to look far. There is food offered on almost every corner, whether it’s at the food stalls at the Jamaa el Fna, the small diners in the medina, or at restaurants frequented by a large number of tourists, such as Les Nomads or Café des Épices. However, finding a cozy restaurant where not only excellent Moroccan food is served, but where you can also spend the whole evening in peace and quiet, requires some patience. If you do not have this kind of patience, you should try the Jama restaurant.

Restaurant Jama Marrakech

The family-run Jama restaurant is hidden in a pretty riad in the southern medina, about a five minute walk from the large Jamaa el Fna square in Rue Riad Zitoun Jdid. Note that the location indicated on Google Maps and TripAdvisor is not correct. You enter the riad through a small candle-lit door and arrive at a tree-covered courtyard with several tables. The restaurant also has two separate rooms with comfortable seating. As it can be a bit cooler in the courtyard in winter, there will be gas-fueled heaters next to the tables, making it pleasantly warm for the guests. Read more

Cooking Classes and Food Tours in Marrakech

Food and drink

Cooking classes and culinary excursions during holidays are becoming more and more popular. Marrakech with its lively souks, the delicious cuisine and exotic oriental promises is a hotspot for Foodies and hobby cooks. Here is a selection of the best offers.

Nowadays you can find lots of cooking classes offered in Marrakech, which provide deeper insights into the special traditional cuisine of Morocco than a simple restaurant visit. The cooking classes differ in length and complexity. Guided tours through the souks to shop vegetables and spices are not inevitably part of these courses, but offer an extraordinary adventure. Prices for cooking classes of 3 to 6 hours normally range from 45 to 60 € if you exclude the cheap and highly recommendable course offered by Amal or the luxury cooking class at the House of Fusion. To help you find and book the perfect individual cooking class for you, you will find an overview of the different offers in this article.

Cooking class just outside the city gates: „We have never had such a fantastic tagine before!“

The Faim d’Épices just outside the gates of Marrakech offers halfday cooking classes (6 hours), which give you an introduction into Moroccan cuisine. After the transfer from your accommodation to a small farm outside the inner city, chef Nezha teaches you how to prepare a traditional dish and delicious Moroccan drinks. The main dish varies from day to day, but the culinary framework with an introduction into Moroccan flavours, a spice workshop and an overview of kitchen tools is always constant. Participants describes tthis cooking class as pleasant, recreative and informative. The course ends with a feast including the prepared dishes, salads, bread and desserts under olive, lemon and orange trees. Read more

Field report: Cooking Class in Amal Women’s Training Center Marrakech

Food and drink

Amal Women’s Training Center is not only a social showcase but also an excellent restaurant. Although people say that too many cooks spoil the broth, cooking courses for small groups are offered there. Here is a field report by a passionate amateur cook.

A while ago, the brilliant restaurant at Amal Women’s Training Center was already recommended here on this blog. Behind the project there is a non-profit organization seeking to support socially disadvantaged women in developing their professional careers and helping them find jobs to earn their livings. These women work together with 15 employees and 12 volunteers and get gastronomic training including Moroccan and international cuisine, service, French language courses focussing on tourism as well as practical training in riads and restaurants.

cooking class amal marrakech

In Amal Center, cooking courses in which you can learn how to prepare couscous, tagine or pastilla, are offered six days a week. These courses are held – according to your needs – in either Arabic, French, English or Spanish and cost DH 200 per person. Book your course online — better early than late — , enter your desired date and language and choose from a list of eight different dishes what is going to land on your plate at the end of your course. You will get an e-mail-confirmation with a very good description on how to find the rather hidden Amal Center in the new town of Marrakech. Read more

Cafés and Restaurants: Amal Women’s Training Center

Food and drink

Amal Women’s Training Center is a social showcase and a brilliant restaurant at the same time. Run by a on-profit organization, education and training of underprivileged women is promoted here. On-site restaurant Amal is an insider tip of Marrakesh’s European expats for not only having a great meal for little money but also for attending cooking classes.

Social Project: Promoting and Training disadvantaged women

The Amal Women’s Training Center in Marrakesh’s new town was founded in 2012 by Nora Fitzgerald. Born American, she grew up in Morocco and is acquainted with the living conditions of Moroccan women who, due to divorce, loss of their husbands, forced marriages or being single mums, are confronted with a lot of difficulties. The centre has 15 employees and 12 volunteers who support women entering the restaurant business. On the trainees’ schedule there is, for example, Morrocan and international cuisine, service, French language courses focussing on tourism and practical training in riads and restaurants.

restaurant amal women marrakech

(Foto: Rystheguy via Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Amal: Restaurant with surprises

amal restaurant marrakech Amal’s Moroccan Restaurant is a real insider tip and some euphoric recommendations on TripAdvisor promise quite a lot. The restaurant opens daily for lunchtime, from 12 a.m. to 4 p.m. and offers a menu which is quite different from most restaurants of the same price range. Read more

Cafés and restaurants in Marrakech: “Café des Épices”

Food and drink

Located directly on Place Rahba Kedima in the northern part of the medina of Marrakech you will find the Café des Épices with its rooftop terrace offering magnificent views over the spice market. Feel invited to stretch your legs here and take a tea break with a special flavour.

cafe des epices marrakech

Admittedly, Café des Épices with its face painted in red is far from being an insider tip — you will find the café mentioned in almost every travel guide by now. Yet, with its brilliant location at the northern edge of Place Rahba Kedima, its terrace and the special hot drinks that are served here, it is definitely still worth a visit.

Tasteful chill out area in the northern part of the Medina

The easiest way to reach the spice market and the Café des Épices is from Jemaa el Fna. From the square’s northern edge, walk for about 400m to the north-east through the souks and, halfway to signposted Ben Youssef Madrasa, you will reach Place Rahba Kedima where spices, basketry, knitwear, fragrances, traditional beauty products and ointments are sold. Read more