The first time I visited Morocco, I saw postcards that featured goats perched in Argan trees. Sure, I thought, this is a gag. Surely they must have either tied stuffed goats to branches or retouched photos. So the first time I visited Argan Country, near Essaouira and Agadir, boy, was I surprised. There were real goats in the trees! Munching away! I soon found out that was going on. The goats were exclusively found in argan trees.
Tag: Morocco Travel
Moroccan food is considered some of the best in the world. The easiest way to discover the true flavors of Moroccan cuisine are to take a Moroccan cooking class or explore various restaurants in Morocco’s Imperial Cities such as Marrakech, Fes, Rabat or Essaouira on a Morocco tour. Another way to discover authentic Moroccan cuisine is to dine with a local family in a Berber Village. Berber villages are known for their unique fare as result that their main staples in making Moroccan traditional cuisine such as couscous are grown locally in their fields alongside special herbs which allows for amazingly tasteful food. Moroccan recipes such as baking bread by fire and a tajine on starlit night can be learning on a Sahara desert tour to the Erg Chebbi Dunes of Merzouga whereby your camel trekking guide takes you off on a journey into the vast dunes to a Sahara camp at sunset to learn the secrets of the Sahara. To fully enjoy a Moroccan meal one must arrive with an empty stomach and then fully prepare themselves for a three or four-course Moroccan feast. As the French proverb says, “Appetite comes with eating; the more one has, the more one would have” so make sure to visit Morocco with an open palate and a big appetite!
Saffron is a deep red spice that comes from the purple Saffron Crocus, or Crocus Sativus, and is found in many Moroccan food recipes, is used as a dye, and is believed to have medicinal benefits. The spice itself comes from the tiny thread stigmas of the flower which are traditionally hand-picked and then sun-dried to bring out the aromatic flavor. It takes 140 flowers to produce just one gram of saffron that accounts for its high market price, in fact, saffron has been said to be worth its weight in gold, literally!
Marrakech located at the foot of the Atlas mountins is one of Morocco’s most popular cities in Morocco. A favorite retreat for royals and visitors, Marrakech has made substantial efforts in recent to turn itself into Morocco’s greenest city. Princess Lalla Meryem, King Mohammed VI’s sister has invested much time and money to upgrade oases and parks. One of the parks that has been renovated to pristine beauty and sits just next to the new, elite Royal Mansour Hotel is Cyber Park.
Morocco’s Ourika Valley is one of the most charming places to visit if you’re looking for a one-day excursion from Marrakech to escape the heat or are in need to go for a long hike. The Ourika Valley is located just an hour outside the heart of Marrakech and boasts lush green gardens, several lakes and the famous Setti Fatma Waterfalls.
Near the vegetable and fruit markets (souks) in Morocco, you will easily spot the meat market; small stalls specializing in particular meats: one for beef, one for lamb, one for poultry; even one for offal, or innards. These are open-air affairs. If you’re squeamish and used to the refrigerated, hormone-filled shrink-wrapped proteins in America, relax! Moroccans and other cultures have been shopping in this manner for centuries with no harm done. Also remember, when you’re cooking meat, poultry or fish, the high heat will effectively burn off any dust from the market.
During a one-day Agafay Desert excursion you can have tea or dinner with a Saharawi or Berber family in a village for a real taste of desert life or visit Lake Takerkoust. Lake Takerkoust is a manmade lake on the edge of the Agafay Desert that was built under the French Protectorate between 1929- 1935 to provide Marrakech and the surrounding cities with electricity as well as to irrigate the agricultural fields in the plain of Haouz.
If you are among the lucky travelers who spend some time renting a home-away-from-home in Morocco, you’ll have the great pleasure of shopping in the local food markets. While many towns of a larger size have “super” markets offering all products ~ vegetables, tinned & paper products ~ needed to stock a kitchen, I recommend the pleasure of shopping the way the Moroccan locals shop.
Morocco is a country in North Africa where people consume allot of bread, Bread is always on the table an eaten with almost every meal. Bread is fitting with the traditional cuisine of Morocco that consists of tajines, stews and soups. What’s staggering about “bread” in Morocco is that is primarily made by all women at home and often twice daily. This results in fresh and delicious breads of all kinds from flatbreads to pancakes.
Travel Exploration presents The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music & Morocco Cultural Tour; Hosted by Music Expert, Joel Davis. This 13 Day/ 12 Night Morocco Fes Music Festival Tour will offer a celebratory opportunity for those who are passionate about Sacred World Music to enrich their palate with a variety of international sounds ranging from Andalusian Classical music to African, Asian, Moroccan Sufi and more while taking a journey across Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Majestic Landscapes, the Sahara Desert and Valley’s. This all inclusive 13 Day/12 Night Morocco Private group tour at just $4,480 per person guarantees combined 4/5 Star accommodations at charming Riads and luxury Moroccan hotels and properties, private transport, historical guides, museum and monument entrance fees along with tickets to the Fes Festival of Sacred World Music. Don’t miss out on this special opportunity to travel to Fes, Morocco and other regions such as Marrakech, Ouarzazate and the Sahara Desert with a music guide and historical guides who will bring depth and understanding to the meaning of Morocco’s music and vast cultural traditions.