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Social Profile
Food & Drink: Morocco’s traditional haute cuisine dishes are excellent and good value for money. They are often exceedingly elaborate, based on a diet of meat and sweet pastries. Typical specialities include: harira, a rich soup, and pastilla, a pigeon-meat pastry made from dozens of different layers of thick flaky dough. Couscous, a dish based on savoury semolina that can be combined with egg, chicken, lamb or vegetables, is a staple Moroccan dish. Tajine is a stew, often rich and fragrant, using marinated lamb or chicken. Hout is a fish version of the same stew, while djaja mahamara is chicken stuffed with almonds, semolina and raisins. Also popular are mchoui, pit-roasted mutton, and kab-el-ghzal, almond pastries. Hotel restaurants usually serve French cuisine. Restaurants offer a good selection of food, including typical Moroccan dishes, French, Italian or Spanish meals. The three-course fixed menus are not expensive. Many of the souks have stalls selling kebabs (brochettes) often served with a spicy sauce. Most restaurants have waiter service.
The national drink is mint tea made with green tea, fresh mint and sugar. It is very refreshing and its consumption is an integral part of Moroccan social courtesy. Coffee is made very strong, except at breakfast. Bars can have either waiter or counter service. Laws on alcohol are fairly liberal (for non-Muslim visitors) and bars in most tourist areas stay open late. Wines, beers and spirits are widely available. Locally produced wines, beers and mineral waters are excellent and good value, but imported drinks tend to be expensive.
Nightlife: Morocco offers a variety of entertainment from casinos, bars, discotheques, restaurants and nightclubs, often with belly dancing. There are modern nightclubs in all the cities and resorts around the country. There are casinos in Marrakech, Mohammedia, Tangier and Agadir. Traditional Moroccan entertainment, such as folk dancing, can be seen in every town.
Shopping: The co-operative shops of Moroccan craftsmen, coopartim, operate under state control selling local handicrafts at fixed prices and issue an authenticity receipt or a certificate of origin for customs when exporting. Souks are also worthwhile places to visit for local products. Special buys are leather, tanned and dyed in Fès; copperware; silver; silk or cotton garments; and wool rugs, carpets and blankets. Bargaining is essential, and good buys generally work out at around a third of the asking price. In the south, there are Berber carpet auctions, especially in Marrakech, Taroudannt and Tiznit. Visitors will need a guide to make the best of these occasions. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0830-1300 and 1430-1930 (Mon-Sat 0830-1200 and 1400-1900 in Tangier); souks (traditional markets) are open Mon-Sun 0830-1300 and 1430-1800.
Special Events: Festivities often mark the seasons and celebrate local resources. Festivals are dedicated to popular art and tradition while moussems are large gatherings paying homage to a holy figure. Events are often organised at the last minute and largely depend on the lunar calendar. For further information, contact the Moroccan National Tourist Office (see Contact Addresses section). The following is a selection of major festivals and events held in Morocco in 2003:
Apr Sand Marathon. May Wax Candle Feast, Salé; Honey Feast, Immouzzer. May 4-6 Rose Festival, Kelaa M’Gouna. Jun Desert Symphony Feast, Ouarzazate; Guinean Singers and Dancers, Essaouira; Cherry Feast, Séfrou; Popular Arts Festival, Marrakech. Jul Camel Feast, Guelmim. Aug Asilah Cultural Festival, Asilah. Sep Engagement Feast, Imilchil; Horse Festival, Tissa. Oct Date Festival, Erfoud. Dec Agadir Festival.
Social Conventions: Handshaking is the customary form of greeting. Many of the manners and social customs emulate French manners, particularly amongst the middle class. The visitor may find, in some social situations, that patience and firmness will pay dividends. Often visitors may find themselves the centre of unsolicited attention. In towns, young boys after money will be eager to point out the way, sell goods or simply charge for a photograph, while unofficial guides will always be offering advice or services. The visitor should be courteous but wary of the latter. Normal social courtesies should be observed in someone’s home. Casual wear is widely acceptable, although swimsuits and shorts should be confined to the beach or poolside. Smoking is widespread and it is customary to offer cigarettes. Tipping: Service charges are usually included in hotel bills; it is customary to tip hairdressers, cinema usherettes and waiters Dh1-2.
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