In Marrakech, every meal begins with tea. Fresh mint, green gunpowder tea and plenty of sugar, poured from an arm’s length above the glass so it froths. Refusing a glass is almost impossible, and you won’t want to.
Tanjia, the city’s own dish
Tanjia is Marrakech’s signature: meat, preserved lemon, garlic and spices sealed in a clay urn and left to cook for hours in the embers of a hammam furnace. It is a dish made for sharing and eaten with bread instead of cutlery.
After dark in the square
As the sun sets, Jemaa el-Fnaa fills with food stalls, smoke and music. Go with a guide the first time; they know which stalls the locals queue at, from snail broth to harira soup and grilled kefta.
Eat slowly, accept the second glass of tea, and let the evening decide where it goes.
Worth knowing
Eat with your right hand when sharing from a common dish, and save room: Moroccan hospitality means there is always one more course.