Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Night Market
Each evening as the sun goes down, dozens of
open-air kitchens set up on the east side of Jemaa
El Fna. Serving areas are erected and tables and
benches are put out to create one vast alfresco
eatery. Beneath a hanging cloud of smoke from
the crackling charcoal grills, locals and visitors
alike tuck into a vast array of Moroccan cuisine.
Nearly every stall has its own speciality, from
snails in spicy broth and chunks of lamb stuffed
into sandwiches to humble hard-boiled eggs.
!
The food
Some of the most
popular eatables are the
varieties of
brochette
-
grilled lamb and chicken
- along with bowls of
soup, spicy sausages,
grilled fish and bowls of
boiled chickpeas.
Top 10 Features
1 The food
2 Hygiene
3 Etiquette
4 Entertainers
5 Storytellers
6 Transvestite dancers
7 Musicians
8 Majoun
9 Café Glacier
0 Henna painting
A dry-fruit stall
Although Marrakech
has a very low crime
rate, the crowds
milling around
Jemaa El Fna at
night are perfect
cover for pickpockets.
Be careful with hand-
bags and wallets.
@
Hygiene
The raw ingredients
arrive fresh each evening and
the food is cooked in front of
you. Plates and utensils are
often washed in water that
isn't changed for much of the
night, so get your food
served on paper and eat with
your fingers.
If you find the food
stalls at the Night
Market to be intimi-
dating, you can
always opt for the
relative familiarity of
salads, pizza and
pasta at the Terrasses
de l'Alhambra
(see
p65)
instead.
$
Entertainers
Knots of excited on-
lookers surround a mena-
gerie of tricksters, sundry
wild-eyed performers and
fortune tellers
(below)
.
This is where the
Moroccan belief
in everyday
magic is on full
display. And
it's not put
on for
tourists.
• Map J3
• The Night Market sets
up at sunset daily and
runs until around
midnight, or later in the
summer months.
• Café Glacier: 0524 44
21 93; Open 6am-
10:30pm daily
£
Etiquette
Walk around to view
what's on offer and when
you see something you like,
take a seat. You don't have to
speak Arabic - just point to
what you want. Prices are
usually posted and every-
thing is inexpensive.
10
For more information on Moroccan cuisine,
see pp50-51.
