Dinner Under the Stars

Yes, both Allison and I have been awful - just awful - about posting recently. To tide you over until I return to Toronto - please, you’re turning blue, stop holding your breath - I present you with a post from traveller extraordinaire, Allan. Oh how I too love Morocco - the food, the faux-guides, the ukeleles, War and Peace… But I digress. Enjoy Allan’s tale; I guarantee you’ll leave dreaming of tajines.

On a related note, we’re always looking for contributors. E-mail us and perhaps - we don’t make any promises - your life’s dream can be fulfilled and you too can join the hallowed space of Vanity Fare.

- Andrea

6200 kilometres from Toronto lies the city of Marrakech in the Kingdom of Morocco. The very name of the city itself conjures up exotic imagery of a land and people very different from our own and indeed, the culture shock upon arrival can be jarring. Give in and surrender yourself to the pace and way of life here though, and you will fall in love with this charming city.

The heart of Marrakech and crossroads for all of North Africa is its main square, Djemma el Fna. Both locals and tourists alike visit this massive open area to mingle, shop, flirt, eat, and simply enjoy themselves. By day, things are relatively sedate. Orange juice vendors fill the western part of the square, selling the most incredible tasting freshly-squeezed orange juice you will ever drink, and for a mere 3 dirhams (40 cents) a glass at that. The dried fruit and nut vendors follow, placing their goods in such impeccable arrangements that they make you feel bad by messing them up. Apothecaries are next, selling medicines and treatments both bizarre and macabre. Sometimes it’s best not to ask or look too closely, if you know what I mean. Finally, merchants selling more modern wares like leather bags and jewelery line the square. Traffic, both of the car, scooter and donkey variety, ramble through with little heed for pedestrians. Moving out of their way is very good advice to follow. Street entertainers can be found during the day but they all seem rather lethargic under the unrelenting sun. When night falls, however, this square transforms into something magical.

Seemingly out of nowhere, dozens of food vendors set up shop in the evening. The benches and stools are laid out, the food is prepared, and the smoke and aromas mingle in the air, enticing all those in the vicinity. After a long day of exploring the labyrinthine souks in the medina, I am looking forward to a great meal. Enthusiastic touts beckon me to eat at their food stall promising this visiting Canadian that their food tastes better than poutine and is “finger lickin’ good.” I imagine “poutine” is substituted for spaghetti, fish & chips, or hamburgers depending on your nationality. Charmed by their words, I take a seat at the bench next to two cute Croatian girls. Good conversation is struck up, and the food comes quickly.

Moroccan food is simple yet filling, relying on spices and slow cooking to attain its intense flavours. The tajine stew with tender chunks of meat and vegetables is hearty. Calamari and frites are next and are so tasty. Traditional Moroccan flat bread is freshly baked and completes the meal. Near the square is the Koutoubia Minaret, towering over the city. As the muezzin’s haunting call to prayer from the minaret fills the warm evening air, I soak in and absorb this unique and incredible atmosphere. I sit at a bench with friendly strangers while spirited staff serve great tasting and smelling food. Monkey trainers, mystics, musicians, storytellers, and acrobats entertain all those in the square. The thousands of stars in the sky resemble diamonds.

You realize then that you have fallen in love with this crazy city. If you ever read a “Best Places to Eat in the World” article in a newspaper or magazine, you will undoubtedly find Djemma el Fna mentioned amidst all the Michelin-starred gourmet restaurants. Can’t argue with that.

-Allan, Vanity Fare contributor