Moroccan cuisine is known for its delicate balance of spices and tasty bread on the side of many dishes.
Influenced by various cultures, ethnic groups, and religions, with elements from the traditional cooking of Arabs and Berbers, the French, Spanish, and Portuguese, and facets from both Islam and Judaism, Moroccan food is certainly very varied.
Popular dishes to try in Morocco include tagine and couscous, a meal traditionally eaten on Fridays, various Moroccan salads, the Marrakshi specialty of tangia, the lentil-based harira, and b’ssara, which is packed with beans. Paninis, pizzas, baguettes, and brochettes are widely available.
You may come across dishes that seem rather unusual to an outsider, such as snail soup, sheep’s head, and stuffed camel spleen! Fish and seafood is especially abundant in coastal areas, with Moroccan sardines particularly acclaimed.
But what if you want to learn the secrets from inside a Moroccan kitchen and discover how to recreate the delicious flavors yourself once back at home? Attend a cooking class!
With cooking lessons available in many parts of the country, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to whip up some Moroccan fare long after your trip has ended. Do be sure to book your class in advance! Here are some of the top cooking classes in Morocco:
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La Maison Arabe, Marrakech
Held within one of the most prestigious hotels in Marrakech, the cooking class at La Maison Arabe provides an ideal way to get an overview of cooking methods and typical Moroccan fare before heading out to purchase supplies in a local spice shop and bakery. Upon returning to the hotel, it’s time to put your aprons on and get busy in the kitchen!
Classes have small groups, of around ten or fewer participants, and each person has their own well-equipped workstation.
Individual monitors make it easy to see exactly what the chef is doing, enabling you to follow along step by step to create your dishes. Translators are on hand to make sure all participants fully appreciate the experience.
You’ll prepare the cold tomato and aubergine (eggplant) salad called zalouk, bake bread, whip up a tagine, and create a tasty sweet. Once everything is finished you can sit down, relax, and tuck into your culinary creations on the patio.
Cooking classes cost 600 dirhams per person. Alternatively, private sessions can be arranged, for up to eight people, for 5,000 dirhams(500$).
The Amal Center, Marrakech
As well as enjoying an informative and fun cooking experience, taking part in a class at Marrakech’s Amal Center also helps to support the local community.
The Amal Center is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to provide work to women and help them to feel empowered and confident.
Helping disadvantaged females, the centre helps women to build their culinary skills and find work in the restaurant industry. The onsite cooking school helps to support the centre’s ongoing great work.
Visitors will learn how to create one Moroccan main dish during the class. A class costs 300 dirhams(30$), and lessons are available in English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.
Do note though that if tagine is made it is a joint effort between two to three participants. Other meals may include couscous and pastille. Drink mint tea as you learn about Moroccan cooking, sit as a group to enjoy your meals, and receive a recipe card at the end of the class to take away with you.
Check The Amal Center website
Clock Kitchen, Fez
Using recipes and techniques that have been handed down through the generations, the chefs at Clock Kitchen in Fez will teach you how to make traditional dishes that have been enjoyed for many years. After meeting your trainer over a welcome drink, head out to a local souk to purchase fresh supplies.
When you return to the kitchen you’ll prepare three courses, with items having been chosen from a list and agreed with the chef beforehand. Starter options include taktouka, a green pepper salad with spices, zalouk, a salad made using aubergine (eggplant), tomato, and spices, harira lentil soup, and shlada d I’barba, a beetroot salad.
For mains, options include chicken and lemon tagine, prune and date tagine, fish tagine, fish or chicken pastille, and vegetable couscous. Those with a sweet tooth can enjoy making macaroons, date and pastry rolls, orange and walnut salad, or fruit parfait.
Your stomach is sure to be rumbling at the end of the class! Sit and dine on your three-course meal, savoring the flavors of Morocco and the fruits of your labor.
Cooking classes cost 600 dirhams per person. If you’re eager to learn even more, you can also join a special patisserie-making workshop or a bread-making class, complete with a trip to the old community
Check Clock Kitchen, Fez website
Khadija’s Kuzina, Essaouira
Held within a Moroccan home, the host, Khadija, tailors classes to meet the wishes of participants.
A major plus of this friendly workshop is that groups are small, typically between two and four people, allowing you to really interact with your chef and ask as many questions as you like about Moroccan cuisine.
Khadija is also able to help you prepare dishes suitable for different dietary requirements, including vegetarian and gluten free.
As well as showing you how to make classic Moroccan dishes, Khadija can let you in on some of her own creations. Afterwards, you share your meal with your group, Khadija, and her family, a great way to experience Moroccan dining as well as Moroccan cooking.
Because you can choose specific dishes to focus on, prices vary. You should expect to pay around 500 dirhams for a lesson though, including tuition, all ingredients, and the finished meal.
Facebook page of Khadija’s Kuzina, Essaouira
Auberge Dardara, Chefchaouen
If you want to learn some Moroccan culinary skills whilst enjoying Morocco’s beautiful Blue City, Auberge Dardara in Chefchaouen is a top choice. Classes are personalized by the guesthouse, letting you uncover the tastes of northern Morocco in a relaxed and scenic setting.
Recipes have been handed down over the years, with authentic tastes, ingredients, and cooking techniques.
Many fresh products are grown on site, with other items sourced from local farms and cooperatives, meaning that your class helps to support the local community too. It’s a great way to enjoy cooking whilst knowing that you are supporting sustainable tourism practices.
You must contact the host to arrange your cooking class in advance, discussing your requirements and expectations to ensure that you get the most from your class.
Whether you want to perfect your couscous, learn how to make a mouth-watering tagine, have a penchant for pastries and breads, or something else, get in touch and they’ll be able to help you to build your skills in the kitchen.
Prices vary according to group size and requirements, but you should expect to pay in the region of 500 dirhams for a class.
In addition to these five cooking classes, other great places to test your culinary flair and add to your gastronomical repertoire include Armani Cookery Workshop in Fez, Riad Lahboul in Meknes, Atlas Kasbah Ecolodge in Agadir, and Tiffi’s Moroccan Cooking School in Tangier. It’s time to cook up a storm!