The title is not click bait, but I do have a confession. I tried to try snails in Marrakech. More on that later.
Disclaimer: only sea snails are halal. Land snails are not. That’s why you’ll find this popular dish all over the streets of Marrakech.
So, how adventurous are you when it comes to food on your travels or just generally food? Do you like to go out of your comfort zone or do you like to stick to what you like? Are you even a foodie if you just stick to what you like? I believe an important part of travelling is trying the local food. Actually, I think it’s the most important! Immersing yourself in the culture and discovering wonderful eats is the joy of travelling!
Okay, let’s talk about the dish. Spicy Snail Soup is one of the staples of the main square of Marrakech (Jamaa al-Fna). You have an open food stalls of Jamaa al-Fna where you can primarily find many types of meat dishes and then you have a section away from these open food stalls where there is a row of stalls selling this one thing and nothing else. Locals will also tell you that this is the best place to sample this dish. The snails come in a spicy broth called babbouche, which is made up of over 15 spices! A proper Marrakech delicacy this one.
So, given all of this information, I had to try it right? On the last day of our trip I built up the courage to walk up to one of these stalls (usually just frequented by locals) and order me bowl of this snail soup. It only costs 5 dirhams, which is an absolute steal. I stared into this bowl of snails and I felt like it was staring right back at me. My wife distanced herself from the bowl and temporarily from me too lol (in disgust). They give you a toothpick to dig out the snail from its shell. It requries a little bit of a tug. Eventually when it is out in its naked glory it isn’t the most appealing. It was tiny, but I even that I could only go for a nibble – I could not bite the whole thing. I think I swallowed? I don’t even remember – it was a blur. That’s it, I could not go in for any other snails – in my mind I have ticked the box and I can say that I’ve done it. What I did go in for as I could smell it was the flavoursome broth. It was peppery and flavoursome and can tell numerous spices were used to make it. And I can see why this broth is addictive and the main reason why the locals love this dish so much! I just wish it was sold without the snails…
Another street food delicacy in Marrakech for the brave is stuffed camel spleen. We didn’t get a chance to try this, but it is again something very popular with the locals. It is a sight to behold that’s for sure! It is usually had with bread as a sandwich. I hear it tastes like liver.
Seeing as we are talking about delicacies for the brave, then how can we not mention the sheep head! We will not go into detail here as there is a dedicated post for this (click here).
What is the most adventerous thing you have tried?
