Visiting Marrakech, Morocco? Read our review of the Moroccan vegan cooking class offered at Riad Dar Zaman. Book the class, and youโll learn how to make mint tea and six vegan Moroccan dishes!
- Location: 29 Derb Bouelilou, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco
- Cost: โฌ60 per person
- Duration: 4 hours
- Website: Click to book
Taking cooking classes when we travel is always an immersive and rewarding experience. We get to bring home with us a little piece of that country and relive its flavors and aromas. The vegan Moroccan cooking class we took at Riad Dar Zaman was one of the best classes weโve participated in. We canโt recommend it enough. We share our review of the cooking class below, so keep reading!
๐ธ๐ฆ RIAD DAR ZAMAN
We had a wonderful five-day stay at Riad Dar Zaman, a vegan-friendly lodging in the heart of the Marrakech medina. (Read a recap of our stay here). Riad Dar Zaman’s resident chef, Chef Karima, whipped up vegan menu items that we absolutely adored. So we jumped at the chance to take a cooking class with her.
๐ PRE-CLASS TOURS
This class included more than just cooking lessons! Our day began with a tour of the local hammam (bath) and communal oven, led by PeterโRiad Dar Zamanโs owner. We learned that Moroccans go to the local hammam once a week. They also enjoy freshly baked bread with every meal and take their homemade bread dough to be baked in a communal oven, manned by a local baker. After that, Peter walked us through the local produce market.
Peter was a welcoming and thorough tour guide, and the tour gave us a sense of everyday life for local Moroccans. We found the tour to be a special added touch that gave context to the dishes we learned how to make from Chef Karima.
๐ DISHES WE LEARNED TO COOK
First up, we learned how to make a trio of Moroccan salads: eggplant salad, zucchini salad and tomato jam. All three were refreshing and flavorful. The tomato jam was so fun to eat; it was sweet, tangy and savory and really yummy slathered on top of Moroccan bread.
After that, we made the most delicious vegetable tagine with a side of Moroccan-style green beans. The tagine was the tastiest tagine we ate in Marrakech (and we enjoyed many a tagine!). The green bean dish was a taught to Chef Karima by her mother.
For dessert, we learned how to prepare cinnamon oranges, a simple but elegant Moroccan staple. Chef Karimaโs twist calls for vanilla bean-infused sugar mixed with cinnamon as a topping. (Here’s our remake of Chef Karima’s cinnamon orange recipe).
Lastly, Riad Dar Zamanโs manager Hassan taught us how to steep a piping hot pot of Moroccoโs iconic mint tea. Mint tea was the perfect end to an awesome cooking class.
And of course, the best part about cooking a meal from scratch was getting to enjoy it! Hassan helped us set a table with all the delicious dishes we prepared. We enjoyed the fruits of our labor and capped off cups of mint tea.
โจ OUR REVIEW
Riad Dar Zamanโs vegan Moroccan cooking class was one of the highlights of our trips to Marrakech! Overall, the experience was a real bang for our buck. The tour of the hammam, communal oven and produce market was the cherry on top.
As for the cooking class itself, Chef Karima was extremely organized and a great instructor. She shopped for our class ingredients in advance and laid out cutting boards, knives, mixing bowls and measuring utensils. We chopped and measured all the ingredients together. She demonstrated each cooking step and patiently answered all of our questions. Manager Hassan was a welcoming host, and his mint tea instructions were clear and entertaining.
Additionally, after the class, owner Peter emailed us all the recipes we learned. If you’re like us, and you love remaking dishes you’ve tried abroad, this class is for you. Not only is the class an awesome value for your money, you get to take home with you a piece of Moroccan culture. You’ll be equipped to prepare several Moroccan dishes for your loved ones for years to come. Do consider booking a cooking class at Riad Dar Zaman if you find yourself in Marrakech!
Leave a Reply