When I first visited Morocco in 2016 I instantly fell in love with the country. Morocco is rich in history, tradition and culture. The people of Morocco are some of the most welcoming people I have come across on my travels. With stunning landscapes and delicious food Morocco is well worth visiting.
I love how beautiful Morocco is
One of the best ways to discover hidden food delights is with a food tour so me and my foodie friend I was travelling with quickly decided we needed to do a food tour in Morocco. We decided to do a food tour in Rabat, Morocco’s capital city and booked a tour with Moroccan Food Tour.
Moroccan Food Tour was set up by Omar and Mohamed who wanted to offer travellers a chance to discover their home country through its culinary art and heritage. A food tour that started in a single location quickly expanded and the company now have food tours in 7 major cities in Morocco. These cities are Rabat, Fes, Casablanca, Tangier, Tetouan and Marrakech.
On the day of the tour we went to our meeting point where we were greeted by Mohamed. With his energy, passion and charisma it is hard not to take an instant liking to him. His smile was beaming as he introduced himself and Moroccan Food Tour.
Before we got started Mohamed handed us a sheet of paper with a brief timeline of Morocco’s history. He gave us a quick lesson on some of the early history and explained that this sheet would help us out along the tour as he will reference more of the history as we go on.
Now that we were ready to begin it was time for our first stop. We made our way to the main street, named after Mohammed V, for what has quickly become my favourite Moroccan food, the pastila. For me, this was the perfect way to start the tour.
Pastillas are meat pies made from layers of paper thin pastry that have been dusted with icing sugar to give it a sweet taste. While there are man different types of pastilles available, the most common seems to be chicken and almond.
It was this classic chicken and almond pastilla that I decided to get on the day. This would have been an unlikely place for us to stop for food so I was grateful Mohamed started the tour here. I’ve had a lot of pastillas throughout Morocco and this was definitely a stand out one!
While I could have happily stayed here all day ordering more pastillas it was time to make our way to our second stop. For this stop we left the modern new city and made our way to Rabat’s Old Town.
It was at this stop that I was introduced to the messy food that is Rziza. A Moroccan specialty, Rziza is made from puff pastry dough that has been finely cut and wrapped around something to give it its unique shape before being pan fried. Once cooked it is then drizzled with honey making it a sticky but delicious treat.
Mohamed explained to us that the Rziza is best eaten as messy as possible. Great for me as I can be a real messy eater at times. Plus, with all the individual strands of dough, it is hard to eat Rziza and not make a mess!
Messy but very tasty
While we were here we also learnt about a few other Moroccan treats the stall was selling. We had been served Beghrir most mornings for breakfast without knowing what it was called. In French it is referred to as le crepe aux mille trous which means the crepe with a thousand holes. A very fitting name indeed!
After we had finished making a mess it was time for stop number three so we could wash it all down. For our third stop we headed to a juice bar. With fresh fruit all around the place ready to be turned into any juice we wanted I was excited for this refreshing stop. I opted for a pineapple, kiwi and orange juice as recommended by Mohamed. This combination really hit the spot and was exactly what I needed to wash away the honey from the previous stop.
We our took our drinks with us wile we made our way to the fourth stop. Here we got to sample a couple of Moroccan dishes. These included Maakouda which are crispy and spicy potato fritters which are deep fried. We also had some aubergine fritters which made me happy as I love aubergines!
At this stop we also had sardines which may not be popular to a lot of people but since Morocco is the world’s largest exporter of sardines it really is a must try while in Morocco. I’ll admit that I don’t like sardines but I’ve had the twice in Morocco and each time enjoyed them. I guess the Moroccans know what they are doing when it comes to sardines!
For those not keen on sardines, the next stop was a sweet treat. For stop number five we had some chebakia which are made from strips of dough that have been folded to resemble a rose. They are then deep fried and coated with a honey syrup, cinnamon and sesame seeds.
What was great about this stop was we actually got to see them be made right in front of us. I was impressed with how quickly they made them as the folding process looked very fiddly. I guess after a while you get used to making them.
Before carrying on with the food tasting, Mohamed took some time to show us around the market. We first visited a shop selling mint and tea leaves and Mohamed was kind enough to get us some so we could have a taste of Morocco for home.
There was also an optional extra during the tour that we both politely declined. While I would actually like to try brains one day, I’ve never been a fan of lamb (and quite often get sick after eating it) so sheep brain didn’t seem like a good idea.
Are you brave enough to try brains?
The next non tasting stop was one I found really fascinating. We visited the community baker who would once bake bread for all the locals living in the area. The families would create the dough at home themselves and would then bring the dough to the baker so he could bake it for them.
The part that I found interesting though was that these community bakers are always located close to a mosque or hammam so that they can use the oven’s fire to heat their water.
We then popped into a spice shop so Mohamed could show us the black soap used during the hammam. He also pointed out that the red pots we had been seeing around the souks were actually used for lipstick.
This is what I really enjoyed about our food tour. It wasn’t just a rush around to get to our food stops. Mohamed was taking the time to teach us about his culture. His passion for his country and its traditions was making this a great tour for us.
At this point our tour deviated from the usual tour route. Normally the tour would head to Dar El Medina restaurant but Mohamed had seen on our Instagram stories that we had already had dinner there. At the time we had no idea that the restaurant was supposed to be part of the food tour! So instead, Mohamed had a surprise ending for our tour.
Next we went to the Kasbah of the Udayas situated adjacent to the medina. Also known as Oudayas Kasbah, this would usually be the end of the tour.
Because of its blue coloured walls, the Kasbah of the Udaya is known as a mini Chefchaouen. It’s a great place to visit if you like photography and lucky for us Mohamed also like photography so he knew the best places to go.
The kasbah is also great to visit for stunning views of the plage de rabat beach and the Bou Regreg river.
After we were finished with our photoshoot in the kasbah it was time for our alternative ending. Since we had already been to the usual restaurant the tour ends at, Mohamed’s mother had kindly agreed to prepare for us a home cooked meal.
We hopped in a Careem (a taxi app used in Morocco similar to Uber) and headed for Mohamed house. As we made our way there I couldn’t wait for a traditional Moroccan family meal. We were certainly two lucky girls!
We walked through the door and were greeted by Mohamed’s mum. Unfortunately she only spoke Arabic and French so we were unable to talk to her in great detail. Although we did still enjoy watching her playfully tell off her son for being late.
We sat down at the table and were presented with a feast. After already eating our way through Rabat I wasn’t sure how we were going to eat everything in front of us! Lucky for us it was so delicious that we happily dug in to our generously prepared meal.
Mohamed’s mum had prepared for us a feast of zaalouk, a mussel tagine and a delicious grilled fish with potatoes. For dessert we were treated to a dish I had never heard of in Morocco but was a lovely refreshing way to end a big meal. We had a simple yet refreshing carrot and orange salad made with fresh orange, grated carrots and cinnamon. It really was the perfect ending to an amazing food tour.
Key Information
- Moroccan Food Tour run in 7 cities; Rabat, Fes, Casablanca, Tangier, Tetouan and Marrakech
- Each licensed and passionate tour guide can answer all questions you may have about Moroccan food
- Tours are available in English and French
- Each tour is small and intimate to ensure guests receive a personal experience
- Price of the tour is €45
- Tours last around 3.5 to 4 hours
- The tour includes quite a bit of walking so make sure to wear sensible shoes
- Tours can be booked online
- Moroccan Food Tour also offer cooking classes
*All information correct as of March 2019
Where to Stay in Rabat
If you haven’t sorted out your accommodation in Rabat yet I highly recommend Riad Marhaba. This gorgeous Riad is located within the heart of Rabat and is only a 5 minute walk from the Kasbah of the Oudayas.
Looking for a more budget friendly option? The hostel Auberge De Jeunesse is a great place to stay if you’re looking to save money on accommodation. Or perhaps you’re looking for a hotel with a pool? Villa Diyafa Boutique Hotel & Spa and Dawliz Resort & Spa are fantastic options. Or use this handy widget to browse hotels in the area
Planning your Morocco trip? Check out these posts
- A Guide to Moroccan Food
- An Authentic Moroccan Stay at Riad Toyour
- Riad Star: A Gorgeous Luxury Riad in Marrakech
- Riad Marhaba: The Most Welcoming Riad in Rabat
Check out these other awesome food tours around the world
Please note that while I was a guest of Moroccan Food Tour, the reviews and experiences written about in this post are 100% genuine. I value you guys too much to lie to you. This blog would be nothing without you and your continued support!
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Everything looks delicious. I just love Middle Eastern food. Filling, just spicy enough and pretty darn healthy too, in most cases. Brilliant.
Yes love the food out there. Actually, it was the food that made me want to visit Morocco in the first place
I would so love to get to Morocco! First of all for its colors, secondly for its food!
I hope you make it there one day. Morocco is one of my favourite countries. The place is so diverse and interesting and yes the food is amazing!
I really like the idea of the chebakia, YUM!
They were good and probably not something I would have paid much attention to if we weren’t on this food tour so I’m glad it was one of our stops
What a fantastic way to explore, I am soooo impressed by how many cool things you got to try! 😀
Those le crepe aux mille trous, they look just like crumpets! I wonder if they taste similar!
Yes this was definitely a generous food tour! And le crepe aux mille trous do taste like flat, thin crumpets.
The icing one the cake has to be Mohamed’s mom’s home-cooked meal – you wouldn’t get that on any city food tour!
We were so lucky to be welcomed into their home and treated to a home cooked meal. You never expect that when you book a food tour so it was a lovely surprise