Restaurants

A few weeks ago, I blogged about my street food addiction and what I wouldn’t eat in Sicily.  But passing on that squid has not diminished my love of street food.  I still can’t get enough of eating on the go – adore it, revel in it, live for it, even.  And I thought I’d seen some pretty incredible street food havens – Istanbul and Bangkok both spring to mind.

But then I went to Marrakech.  And I realized I hadn’t seen anything.  In just a few moments, my entire street-food world view changed completely.  And for the better at that.

Wander into the main square in the Medina, Djemaa el Fna, during the day and you’ll find snake charmers, henna artists and orange juice kiosks as far as the eye can see.  The square feels like an extension of the nearby souks (markets) – and it’s carnival-like and a lot of fun.  But come dusk, the square undergoes a powerful metamorphasis.  With the addition of some new vendors and some tables and chairs, Djemaa el Fna becomes street foodie heaven.  You can find all kinds of incredible Moroccan dishes – harira, a tomato and lentil soup; lamb and meat tagines cooked in their ceramic cone-shaped casseroles; and, yes, even sheep brains.

And you can sample before you buy.

I came hungry – and it’s a good thing.  Because I tasted everything I came across.  Even the sheep brains.  (Verdict, nice tasting but I just couldn’t get past the texture).  Wandering the stalls, I wondered if I could find a better place to really experience Moroccan cuisine.  I doubted it.  And once I found myself a spot to sit and started spooning my way through a big bowl of Harira, I simply enjoyed the perfection of my soup and watched the world go by.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

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Djemaa el Fna
Marrakech Medina

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Photo of tagines courtesy of Kayt Sukel.