Taking Tea & Baking Bread: A Taste of Authentic Morocco
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port
Tangier, Morocco
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activityLevel
Moderate Activity
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excursionType
Information Not Currently Available
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wheelchairAccessible
No
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startingAtPrice
$200
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minimumAge
Information Not Currently Available
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duration
Approximately 3¼ Hours
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mealsIncluded
Meals included
It's always tea o'clock in Morocco! Mint tea is the ubiquitous beverage here -- deals are sealed, marriages are made, and fates are forged over it, but how to make it well remains a mystery to outsiders. Just add water? Certainly not! For Moroccans, mint tea is as important as Earl Grey is for the British and green tea is for the Chinese. Today, you'll learn the secrets of crafting perfect peppermint tea and enjoy it with bread fresh from the frans.
Head to the Grand Socco -- the souk or marketplace that is the hub of Tangier. Although there are fewer vendors here than back in the old days, it is still home to a cavalcade of color, charm, street musicians, a fish market, handicrafts and spices. It is organized chaos and, thus, a fun and frenetic place from which to begin your Tangier experience.
Proceed to Blue Door Cuisine, where you'll want to pay attention as you are taught to prepare an absolutely wonderful cup of Moroccan mint tea and how to bake traditional bread. A certified chef keeps the lesson lighthearted and involves each participant in the 'chores'. This is where you roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty, following step-by-step instructions to prepare your own batch of Moroccan bread dough.
Once your dough is ready, you'll visit the strategically-located communal wood-burning oven (a ferran or frans) -- an absolutely down-home authentic Moroccan experience. Until the 1980s, almost all Moroccan families made their own bread, and the frans is where the residents would mingle as they waited on their bread and pastries to bake. Fran were found in every neighborhood, and baked dozens of loafs at once many times a day. These can still be found and are still used by the local people in the old Medinas. As there were so many breads baking together, anything placed in the oven was marked with a rubber stamp, so each person would know which loaf was his/her own.
This is the real deal, and is a rather elaborate step-by-step preparation that pleases the eyes and the palate, so you will be happy to know that you are invited to savor both your own bread and the mint tea afterwards. Local condiments and handmade Moroccan cookies of the finest quality are also offered for tasting.
Please note: Wear comfortable walking shoes.