Shop the Souks of Morocco For Meat, Fish and Spices, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Moroccan meat market

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.

Now don’t think you can sidle up and order a T-bone steak. In Morocco, the cuts of meat are not the same as in the US or EU. Also remember, the preferred method of preparing meat here is either to stew or to grill (en brochette).

Essaouira fish market

If the Moroccan town you are living in or staying is near the ocean, there will be a fish market. It is normally a building where various competitive vendors hawk their catch of the day. Be careful underfoot ~ ice melting makes for slippery footing! You may be lucky to be on the wharf when the fishing boats come in. There, fish mongers quickly clean the fish and offer it for sale tout suite. When you see the seagulls circling and crying, it’s probably because the fish innards are being thrown back into the ocean and the gulls are happy catching their lunch.

A true delight for American and Europeans is the egg vendor: Brown, white, speckled, maybe goose or duck eggs as well as chicken; Believe me ~ you may purchase a single egg! The vendor will place your egg/s in a flimsy plastic bag and you should say a little prayer to get it home without cracking. Taking an empty 6-pack cardboard egg crate to transport eggs is the best way to ensure they get home safely.

The most tasteful eggs in Morocco available are called “beldi” and come from Beldi chickens. They are natural (a form of organic eggs) and often brown or black. Beldi chickens are breed by local farmers in Morocco. These types of eggs are often best eaten boiled or used in recipes.

Fes traditional bread oven

Bread is baked at local ovens being most traditional homes in the old medinas (cities) do not have individual ovens.  Women take their freshly baked bread in a small wheeled cart bearing their aromatic delights on a tray to the baker each morning and come back to retrieve it shortly after. One can purchase various kinds of single Moroccan warm flat breads for just under five cents. YUM!

Marrakech spice market

My favorite market is the spice market. Vendors sculpt mounds of spices into great colorful cones of unbelievable sizes, some 2 ft high, arranged to entice the customer with their gorgeous hues. Each vendor has his own spice blends. One for poultry; one for fish; another for lamb, etc. Ras al hanout, translated as “spice of the house,” is used in tagines(stew). These are my favorite souvenirs to bring home but make sure you label them! Some are advertised with medicinal properties (e.g., “Moroccan Viagra,” “Acme cure,” etc.) These can be brought home as souvenirs as a goof for your family & friends. All I can advise: Buyer Beware!

In any case, it’s wise to go shopping with a sense of adventure and wonder.

And HUMOR! Moroccans are the friendliest people on earth and love a laugh. No common language required.

Happy Shopping!

By Freya Ellinwood, Morocco Travel Writer

For more information about Moroccan local markets,meat, fish and spice markets or cuisine tours

For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert, Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best ofMarrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate

Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel.We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806 or 1 (917)703-2078 and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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Souks of Morocco, Your Morocco Travel Guide

Woman Picking Oranges at Sunday Souk Ouarzazate, Morocco

Exploring the Souks of Morocco is a great way to connect with the local people and to experience first hand the tradition of Moroccan buying and selling of a wide range of goods. Moroccan Souks are typically held once a week in each city and region with the “day of the souk” being the best time to purchase fresh vegetables, fruits, preserved lemons, olives, spices, household items, Moroccanjewelry, Music, Toys, Glass ware, Silver, Gold, Clothing, Moroccan carpets and other exciting finds that are carried across the Maghreb from souk to souk.

Man from Atlas Mountains with Antique Silver for Sale, Ouarzazate, Morocco

A majority of the goods that are sold at Moroccan souks are either imported or made and sold by local artisans, vendors and Nomads who descend from the Atlas mountain regions to sell their wares. The good s at Moroccan Souks which are primarily imported from abroad are made available to cater to the local population in Morocco who prefer goods that are made of plastic, glass and porcelain as a result of their low price point, quality and attraction to foreign goods.

Imported Plastic Goods at the Sunday Souk, Ouarzazate, Morocco

A Souk (souq) is referred to as the commercial quarter in an Arab or Berber city and specifically refers to the weekly market.
Historically in Morocco, souks were held outside of cities in the location where a caravan loaded with goods would stop and merchants would display their goods for sale. Souks were typically held when there was a caravan passing through a city or if there was excess of goods available. At that time, souks were more than just a market to buy and sell goods; they were also major festivals and many cultural and social activities took place in them.

Woman at Sunday Souk, Ouarzazate, Morocco

A result of the expansion and growth of Moroccan cities during the past ten years has created an environment where traditional Moroccan souks have become less important in major cities such asCasablanca, Marrakech, Fes, Essaouira and Tangier. The reason an interest in traditional souks in major cities has declined is because larger, more modern Moroccan places to shop such as Marjane (American “Target” equivalent), Acima, and other urban centers now offer a similar or better quality of goods. Moroccan Souks in smaller cities, towns and Moroccan villages are still a large weekly tradition and the main source of goods for the local population. Families who live in remote mountain regions of Morocco or in small villages often travel long distances each week to the traditional Moroccan Souks where they can stock up on goods.

Spices in a Moroccan Souk

Each city and small town in Morocco has a particular day of the week when a  “Souk” takes place and many refer to it with the day of the week as it’s title. For example in Ouarzazate, Morocco there is a “Saturday Souk” and a “Sunday Souk” however in other regions and cities there is often a “Thursday Souk” or a “Monday Souk.”
If you are considering a Morocco tour make sure to ask your travel agent to include a visit to the local Moroccan Souk. Visiting a Moroccan souk offers an unforgettable visual and sensory experience.

For more information about Moroccan Souks or a Private Tour to Shop the Souks of Morocco
For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert, Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate


Travel Exploration specializes in Morocco Travel. We provide Tours and travel opportunities to Morocco for the independent traveler and tailor-made tours for families and groups with a distinctly unique flavor. From Morocco’s Seven Imperial Cities, to the Magical Sahara Travel Exploration offers a captivating experience that will inspire you. At Travel Exploration we guarantee that you will discover the best of Morocco! Call Travel Exploration at 1 (800) 787-8806  or 1 (917)703-2078  and let’s book a tour to Morocco for you today.

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