Category: Healthy Options in Marrakech

An exploration of The Red City known as Marrakech.
  • Dates,Nuts,and Cactus Fruit In Marrakech.

    A few of the tempting treats on display around the medina.

    Image by Freebird Tracey.

    Imagine walking around the medina, and you fancy something to tickle your tastebuds.

    It’s too early for lunch or dinner, but you fancy a snack, something other than sweets and pastries.

    Marrakech is full of street vendors selling delicious things, some you may know, some you may not be so familiar with.

    Cactus fruit is commonly seen peeled and displayed on carts around the medina in Marrakech.

    Cactus fruit or prickly pear is a popular, spiky, sweet treat in season from July to September.

    The vibrantly coloured fruit is nutritious, refreshing, and packed with antioxidants.

    Eating cactus fruit is a great way to hydrate. It’s juicy and full of vitamin C.

    You can pick one up for 1 dirham, making them a great snack for travellers on a tight budget.

    If you haven’t tried one before, I would give them a go.

    They are absolutely delicious and a cheap, healthy alternative to sweets.

    Image by Freebird Tracey.

    Nuts are central to Moroccan cuisine, and there’s a good variety available, including walnuts, cashews, pistachios, and peanuts.

    Souk Kchacha in the medina is the best place to buy quality nuts.

    Vendors in the main square also sell packets of mixed nuts in various flavours.

    They are absolutely delicious and the perfect snack to take sightseeing or to fill a gap before your next meal.

    Nuts can be filling and calorific, so bare that in mind.

    Once you pop, you might not stop.

    The problem for me was choosing which ones to buy from the huge variety on sale. Luckily, I was able to taste them before I purchased any.

    Image by Freebird Tracey.

    There are plenty of shops selling nuts all around the medina in Marrakech.

    One I also recommend is Marche aux Espices in Tinsmiths Square, open from 9.00am until 8.00pm.

    Image by Freebird Tracey.

    Fruit is everywhere in Marrakesh, colourful, mouthwatering, fresh fruit all around the medina.

    There is a fruit and vegetable market where the locals shop called Market el Kheir,if you want an authentic experience of buying fresh produce.

    Its location is M233+FQG AV Ibn, Marrakech.

    It closes at 11.00pm, and everything is fresh with a lively, bustling atmosphere.

    There are carts all around the medina selling a wonderful variety of fruit, and Jamaa El Fna is abundant with fruit sellers plying their trade.

    Image by Freebird Tracey.

    One thing you really ought to try when you come to Marrakech are the dates.

    Dates are a staple in Marrakech, with the most popular being the large  sweet variety called Medjool and the popular Boufeggous, highly regarded by the local population.

    Medjool dates, also known as ‘The King of Dates’, have a caramel like flavour and soft texture.

    They are mainly grown in the Tafilalet region of Morocco and are rich in potassium, fibre, and energy.

    So, if you’re flagging from all the walking and sightseeing, they’re the ideal pick me up.

    The most common location for purchasing dates is from vendors in Jamaa El Fnaa or in the medina.

    They are considered safe to eat but get them packaged if you’re taking them home to avoid issues with customs at the airport.

    I was pleasantly surprised by the soft fleshy texture and the size of the dates in Marrakech.

    They tasted really fresh, completely different from the ones I’ve had back home.

    I was so impressed that I purchased some to bring back with me.

    On average, at the time of writing,  dates average at about MAD 99.57 and MAD 248.92 per kilogram.

    Image by Freebird Tracey.
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