A Night at Jeema-El-Fna

Keywords:	Restaurants ¦ Markets ¦ Street Food ¦ Moroccan Cuisine ¦ Memorable Meals ¦ Reportage
Translations:	Español
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As I walked through the night food market at Jeema-el-Fna in the old city of Marrakesh, each and every restaurateur tried to drag me in. A large Swiss glutton would indeed be a fine catch for any of them. My protestations did not stop them. Sit here my friend, for the best sheep heads in Morocco! I protested: But I have already eaten my supper! He sized me up quickly, then replied: It doesn't show at all, eat again with us! I moved on to the next stall. Same protestation. This time You are lean (I'm not), you can allow yourself to eat again! Come and play the second half-time with us! I try some wit: During the second half-time I do the Ramadan (Muslim fasting) The guy looked at me the same way the first one did, then replied: You did the Ramadan? It sure didn't work. Speaking in English or in any living language will only entice the same sharp answers in the language you used. At last, I gave in and sat down for another dinner.

During the day, there is not much to Jeema-el-Fna. A huge L-shaped square bang in the center of the old city of Marrakech - the Medina, it is so big that any number of pedestrian seem to be lost in the vastness of the square. On other side there are a few permanent spice stalls during the day but you can't really understand why UNESCO branded it a "part of world heritage".

But as the sun sets, the square changes its shape. From a Ceaucescian urban desert, it turns into one of the world's busiest open air restaurant. The entire square is pitch black, lighted only by the countless food stalls and tables. Here is my night at this legendary market seen with a fisheye lens and my new D300 camera - it can see through the night.

Some stalls offer a bar, with the food presented behind but out of reach ...

... while other let you come up close ...

... so that you can check how fresh the food really is.

Skewers are probably your safest bet - they are presented for your inspection and you pick just as many as you can devour.

Patrons, half of them locals, eat at long communal tables and sit on benches in the front or in the back.

The kitchen is a well-organized, efficient place in the back. Nowhere to hide unhygienic practices or stale ingredients here. Each stand bears a number and owners proudly tell you to remember their number 'for tomorrow night'. Coupled with the fearsome Police Touristique I think this makes for a market where the wandering glutoon can indulge in street food with relatively little risk for his stomach.

Sheeps heads is the food most tourists remember although very few try it.

I did not spot any foreign client at the half-dozen or so stalls selling sheeps heads (two pictures above and lead picture).

Food chauvinists do not realize how widespread snail-gastronomy is. You find traditional snail recipes all around the Mediterranean. And Morroco is no exception.

This snail-seller is not friendly with camera-wielding foreigners. Unfortunately I derived a rule of thum that if a man has a flat hat on his head, he will most probably protest if you take a picture. There are various reasons invoked for this 'it is stolen' but I suspect the reason is not fundamentally religious but rather has to do with a general dislike of foreigners. I can't speak for the man on the picture of course. I had to sneak twice past him to get this shot and he started gesturing with an evil look right after this.

My fearless friend Zed of Moldavian Pig Slaughter fame had tried the snails and reported them as 'foul tasting'.

Finally, a coffee and sweets.

Half a dozen stalls offer freshly squeezed orange juice. The glasses are freshly washed in not very fresh water, so you might want to take a rain check on those.

Friends don't let friends buy ground spices, but the stalls are very attractive ...

... and some sell some of the best dates and almonds you'll ever see.

The food merchants at Jeema El-Fna are relatively tame and quite friendly. They won't insist very much. There is no need - the market is teeming with people from dusk till dawn every day of the year.