Morocco’s bustling and electrifying city of Marrakech is a feast for all the senses. It dazzles visitors with bursts of vibrant colour, a myriad of lively sounds, and the ever-present heat of the desert.
But it’s the tastes and aromas of the city’s food that will truly blow you away. A variety of cuisines and cultures have influenced Moroccan cooking over the centuries.
And the country’s food has become well-loved all around the world. A trip to Marrakech, the cultural capital of Morocco, would be incomplete without indulging in its thriving food scene.
We recently visited Marrakech and embarked on a food tour through the historic Medina. It was an incredible way to experience a range of Morrocan foods while learning about the city’s culture and history along the way.
Food tours in Marrakech take you to exquisite stalls and restaurants that you’d have trouble finding on your own. And they bring Moroccan street food to life through stories of the city’s past and present.
I highly recommend taking a Marrakech food tour to everyone who visits.
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Shopping in the souks of the Medina of Marrakech, Morocco
Recommended Marrakech food tours
There are many food tours available in the city. If you want to get a feel for Marrakech after dark, try this street food tour by night.
Alternatively, book this food tour and dinner experience if you’d like to include a tasty sit-down meal.
We really enjoyed the tour we chose, but they all tend to follow a similar structure, and each tour has its own charm. So book one that looks appealing, and get ready for an incredible feast.
Click here to book your own Marrakech food tour!
One of the spices market stalls we visited during our evening Marrakech street food tour
Our Marrakech food tour experience
We chose a night time walking tour of The Medina, which twisted through narrow alleyways and weaved through the bustling souks (markets). These souks are some of the most exotic and bewildering marketplaces on Earth.
The Medina is the old city of Marrakech. This UNESCO World Heritage site dates back to the 11th century and is packed with life and colour. Here you’ll find the most quintessential experience, making it the perfect spot for a food tour.
We started in the Jewish quarter (Mellah), making three stops there before moving on to the more central souks. Here’s a breakdown of our experience.
Enjoying a chicken pastilla and Moroccan tea during a Marrakech food tour
Stop 1 – Olives and Spices
Olives are a culinary staple in Morocco. They have a place in an extensive variety of Moroccan foods, and they’ve earned a permanent place on dinner tables around the country.
So naturally, they’re a popular feature in the souks of Marrakech. The olives are usually cured and often served with olive oil, herbs or spices as a kind of starter.
We stopped by a stall and tasted some of the olives they had to offer. They were delicious and acted as the perfect appetizer for the dishes to come.
Olives on display at one of the stalls in the souq of Marrakech
During this stop, we also dived headfirst into the heady spices of Morocco. A wide variety of Spices are used in Morrocan cooking, and they’re fundamental to the country’s intensely flavourful dishes.
In the souks of Marrakech, you’ll see vibrantly coloured buckets of spices everywhere you look. Our guide explained what each of the spices is used for, allowing us to smell them as he did so.
This was a real highlight of the tour and offered some amazing insights into Morrocan cooking.
A spice selection in the souks of the Medina of Marrakech, Morocco
Stop 2 – Pastilla and Briouat
Next, a short walk through the bustling lanes brought us to some more culinary delights, in the form of pastilla and briouat.
Pastilla is a traditional, sweet-savoury Moroccan pie that brings together a diverse range of ingredients. Traditionally, the dish consisted of slow-cooked pigeon meat and a sweet almond crust with powdered sugar and cinnamon.
But the pigeon is usually substituted with chicken in the modern version. The results are surprisingly fantastic, and we enjoyed the pastilla thoroughly.
The next thing we tried was a briouat, which is a small pastry that’s generally filled with meat, cheese, pepper, and lemon.
They’re usually formed into triangles, and strongly resemble samosas. Ours had a spicy fish filling, which was a tasty treat.
Chicken pastilla, my newly discovered favourite Moroccan dish
Stop 3 – Kefta Sandwich
Kofta, as it’s most commonly known, is ground beef or lamb mixed with a variety of herbs and spices. It’s generally cooked on skewers, but sometimes takes the form of meatballs.
In Morocco, it’s often referred to as kefta. But no matter what you call it, it’s delicious.
At our third stop, we were introduced to the kefta sandwich – which, as you’d expect, is a tasty bit of kefta in some bread. Usually with salad and sauce.
The bread was gorgeous, and the meat really worked in sandwich-form.
Kefta skewers cooking on the grill in Marrakech
Stop 4 – Gueddid on Pancakes
Next, we headed out of the Jewish quarter on foot to explore more of the city’s flavourful offerings.
Our first stop was at a place that made an unusual dish. It consisted of gueddid, (a kind of Moroccan dried meat, very similar to beef jerky) which was served on pancakes.
And it ended up being an unfamiliar but tasty experience!
Check out prices and availability for your Marrakech food tour here!
Savoury pancakes being prepared at a market stall in Marrakech
Stop 5 – Rfissa and Dessert
Next, we walked and talked our way through the lanes of the souks to a stall that served Rfissa. Taking in the life and colour along the way.
Rfissa is a popular chicken dish in Morocco that’s traditionally prepared during a variety of celebrations. Our guide told us that the dish is commonly served to new mothers, three days after their child is born.
It usually contains chicken, fenugreek seeds, onions, lentils, and a kind of shredded pancake called m’semmen, among other things. The one we tried also had dates and eggs in it.
Rfissa – a traditional Moroccan dish usually served to new moms
To top it all off, our guide took us to find some sweet-tooth satisfaction.
After a short walk, we finished the tour with a Jewish dessert made with almonds, milk, cream, and honey.
Drawing our fabulous taste of Marrakech to a close.
Click here to book your own Marrakech food tour
The dessert we had during our Marrakech street food tour
Final thoughts on food tours in Marrakech
A food tour in Marrakech is an essential part of any visit. They’re an awesome way to see the popular areas of the city and immerse yourself in its culture.
And they can help you during the rest of your stay, by teaching you which foods to order and which to avoid.
I hope you’ve found this post valuable, and that it’s convinced you to try one of these amazing Marrakech tours for yourself!
Tip: For the most authentic experience, I suggest that you stay in one of Marrakech’s riads. They’re wonderful, traditional Morrocan houses with stunning central courtyards.
Looking for more Morocco travel tips? Check out these guides:
- The ultimate Morocco packing list
- Sleeping in the Moroccan desert at Scarabeo Camp
- Marrakech to Ouarzazate day trip review
- The 15 most Instagrammable places in Marrakech
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