Food Court Marrakech Style

TO DIE FOR

Food Court Marrakech Style

Courtesy Paperplane Magazine
Words Adam Blakey, Photo Dhump/sippingjetstreams.com

Setting up food stalls in an area of town known as the “Assembly of the Dead”? may not seem the smartest move for anyone hoping to attract hungry tourists, but in Morocco visitors flood the Djemaa el Fna every night eager to bury their faces in bowls of traditional cuisine. The popular market place and main square of Marrakech actually plays home to several revolving businesses and entertainment’s throughout the course of an average day. Snake charmers and story tellers share space with orange juice vendors, magicians, medicine men, colourful dancers (though you’ll find no bouncing I dream of Genie’s cutting the flying rug as a girl providing that sort of entertainment would likely get fed to the cobras) spice peddlers, traditional water distributors and those seedy characters who talk in whispers before revealing from a closed fist blocks of black Moroccan hashish so powerful they could liquify your brain. As the sun sets and the air cools, the mood changes and the busy sizzle and scents of Moroccan delicacies spring to life from the embassy of temporary hot plates. A potent mix of Berber, Moorish , Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and African inspired flavours lie within this very photograph but until we learn how to flavour our paper (with something other than ink which comes off bitter at best), the only way you’ll be able to experience the Assembly of the Dead is by being there (or killing yourself which we don’t recommend).