7-Day Culinary Adventure
Our weekly culinary tour is designed to give our students more time to experience Moroccan culture while learning how to make some of the country’s traditional and delicious dishes. This experience is open to anyone from the novice cook to the experienced chef. The tour includes cultural trips in and around the Fes area as well as hands-on cooking lessons in a beautiful Moroccan ‘riad’. Explore the narrow streets of the Fes Medina. Pick up all of your fresh ingredients for your meal in the traditional Moroccan souk (open air market). Visit a Moroccan spa and get a soothing argan oil massage. Take a trip to Azrou, a Berber mountain town outside of Fes and to the imperial city of Meknes. Taste some of Morocco ’s finest wines and of course, learn how to make delicious Moroccan recipes with one of Fes’ most respected chefs.
The Riad
Students will stay at Riad Tafilalet, a beautiful traditional Moroccan home restored to be a guest house. Riad Tafilalet is located in the heart of the Fes Medina, ideal for day walks through this ancient medieval city. The riad has 6 comfortable bedrooms decorated Moroccan style, each with its own private bathroom featuring smooth tadlakt walls. The open interior courtyard is a cool and calm place to relax on a warm sunny day. The tiled floors and walls, the central fountain, and the tall arches reflect the stunning features of traditional Moroccan architecture found in old houses throughout the Medina. The three large Moroccan salons surrounding the courtyard boast comfortable couches, ambient wall lighting and a library with books in English, French, and Spanish. The riad’s two large kitchens which you will use for your cooking classes are well equipped and spacious enough to allow every student a hands-on experience. Be sure to climb up to the roof-top terrace to enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of the entire Medina. The terrace also features a cozy Berber tent for cooler fall and winter nights. Every morning, you will start your day with a complimentary breakfast which includes bread and Moroccan pancakes made fresh by the local baker.
The Itinerary for the Week
Monday: Settling in
On the first day, you will arrive at Riad Tafilalet and you will be welcomed with a warm pot of refreshing Moroccan mint tea. Take the afternoon to settle into your hotel and the city. In the evening, you will be served a welcome dinner at the riad.
** Pick up from the Fes-Saiss airport, the train station, or the bus station can be arranged upon request.
Tuesday: Cooking Day 1 - Introduction to Moroccan cuisine and the souks of Fez
8:00 to 9:30 - Breakfast at Riad Tafilalet
9:30 – Take a trip to the souk (the open-air market) with Lahcen to do your grocery shopping for the day’s meal. Pick out the freshest products for your meal and experience how Moroccans do their daily grocery shopping.
10:30 - Come back to the riad and start preparing your first tagine of the week! Today, you will learn how to make Moroccan salad, tagine, and a cream pastilla.
1:00 to 2:00 - Enjoy your creation
2:00 to 6:00 - Take the afternoon to relax or explore the Old Medina with a guide. Feel free to shop for some souvenirs in the markets.
While you are out, you may want to scope out some interesting restaurants for dinner. Or ask Riad Tafilalet for recommendations.
Wednesday: Day trip to Meknes and wine tasting
8:00 to 9:30 – Breakfast at Riad Tafilalet
10:00 – Transportation from the riad will leave for Meknes, Fez ’s neighboring and more minor imperial city. Meknes is a fascinating city full of interesting monuments, fewer hassles, and cheaper shopping than you will find in Fez. Enjoy the day hassle-free with a guide.
12:30 – Lunch at a restaurant in Meknes
3:00 – Take a trip to Morocco ’s most renowned wineries just outside of Meknes. Experience the wine legacy that the French left behind.
4:30 - Return for dinner in Fez at Riad Tafilalet or another restaurant of your choice.
Thursday: Cooking Day 2 - Pastilla
8:00 to 9:30 - Enjoy your breakfast at the riad.
10:30-4:30 – Spend the afternoon relaxing or choose from our list of ‘Additional Activities’. We recommend visiting Fes Jdid, the part of Fes that is home to the Royal Palace, the Jewish quarters, and an enchanting and less-touristy market.
4:30 – Learn how to make pastilla, an Andalusian dish brought to Morocco by the Moors and “perfected” in Fez. For this meal, you will also be making harira (Moroccan soup) and a light delicious fruit salad with mint and rose water.
8:00 - Enjoy your pastilla dinner at Riad Tafilalet.
Friday: Cooking Day 3 - A traditional Friday couscous lunch
Since Friday is the holy day in Islam and couscous is most Moroccan’s favorite dish, it is the tradition in Morocco to eat couscous on Fridays.
8:00 to 9:30 – Breakfast at Riad Tafilalet
10:00 – Start your cooking lesson participating in this national tradition. During this lesson, you will also be making zaalouk and one of Lahcen’s own fruit salads.
1:00 – Enjoy your couscous lunch.
2:00 - Spend the rest of the day relaxing and exploring Fes some more. We recommend visiting Ain Nokbi, where Fes ’ famous pottery is made. Watch the potters sculpt and intricately paint beautiful pieces of work. Have dinner at a local restaurant in Fes.
Saturday: A day trip to Azrou
8:30 to 9:30 – Breakfast at Riad Tafilalet.
10:00 - Transportation to Azrou leaves from the riad.
11:00 to 4:00 - Spend the day in this beautiful quaint Berber mountain town. Take a walk in the cedar forests, visit the Barbary apes, and shop for some of the best rugs in Morocco. Lunch at a restaurant in Azrou.
4:30 - Return to Fes and get ready for your farewell dinner and a surprise!
** Optional overnight in Azrou: an additional 4000 Dh per person
Spend the night in an auberge in the mountains and learn how to make meshwi, a traditional Berber meat dish which is cooked underground for a several hours.
Sunday: Farewell and checkout
Have breakfast, pack up your bags, and say goodbye. Drop-off at the Fes-Saiss airport, the train, or the bus station can be arranged on request.
Reservations
Price per person = 11,000 Moroccan Dirhams
Price per couple = 19,500 Moroccan Dirhams
Number of participants:
Minimum: 2
Maximum: 8
Reservations for the culinary adventure accepted at least 2 weeks in advance. All dates and prices are subject to availability. Payment accepted in cash or credit card upon arrival.
Prices include:
- Transportation to and from the Fes-Saiss airport or the bus/train station
- 6 nights at Riad Tafilalet (including breakfast)
- 3 cooking lessons
- a booklet of 20 of Lahcen’s favorite recipes
- day trip to Azrou (including transportation and lunch)
- day trip to Meknes (including guide, transportation, wine tasting, and lunch)
- a tour of the Fez Medina with a guide
- Welcome and Farewell dinners at Riad Tafilalet
Extras:
Aprons are provided, but you are welcome to bring your own.
Lahcen has a collection of some excellent spices that you can buy and to take home with you.
Travel accessories:
