Moroccan Fusion Food Served in a 500-Year-Old Riad - Day Trip

Traveling Spoon

Chef Edwina left her native Australia for Spain in 2000 and began cooking Moroccan dishes soon after that, after a trip to a Moroccan wedding where she was introduced to the country's cuisine. She returned home from that trip with bag fulls of tajines and spices, and over the next two years became so passionate about the flavors of Moroccan cuisine that in 2002 she relocated to Marrakech. Edwina bought a traditional 500-year old riad surrounding an open-air courtyard and over the next four years completed the riad's renovation, turning her home into a culinary destination. Edwina started her cooking school in celebration of her son, the acclaimed Melbourne chef Ed Golombek, who passed away after battling cancer. Edwina cooks together with her dada Hasna to teach traditional Moroccan cuisine as well as Moroccan-fusion dishes. For dinner, travelers can expect a seasonal tasting menu inspired by the morning’s market. In the warmer months, dinner is served on the terrace top, and during cooler months it is served around the courtyard fire. The menu might include dishes like beetroot and orange soup, lemon chicken tagine, slow seared calamari, tanjia of beef cooked in hammam coals, honey and salted aubergines, tempura zucchini, butterflied sardines, twice rolled couscous, or spiced, oven-roasted vegetables. The meal will end with Edwina's signature dish of almond-filled, rosewater meringues served over a chocolate ganache. If you book the cooking experience you can work with Edwina to select a menu which will include eight dishes based on your traveler's dietary preferences. During the fully hands-on experience travelers will learn the Moroccan art of tea making and then begin preparation of their eight selected dishes. Spices used in all the prepared dishes are for sale in the riad after the class. Should guests wish to purchase saffron, Edwina is happy to take them to the spice trader, a 5-minute walk away from her home. Edwina also offers an optional market tour add-on. Special notes: Please note that this experience is not suitable for children under the age of 12. Cooking classes are unavailable on Fridays (meals, however, are available 7 days a week). Also please note that since the riad is also used for cooking vacations with stay, travelers might see other guests while you are there. However the cooking lesson and market tour experiences are all private.

Vacation Inclusions

• Meal
• Cooking Class (optional)
• Market Tour (optional)
• Lunch (9am-3pm Market Tour) OR Dinner (7:30-10:30pm Meal, 3:30-6:30pm Cooking Lesson)
• Vegetarian options available
• Alcohol available
• Transportation available

Featured Destinations

Marrakech Marrakech Marrakech, known as the "Pearl of the South," is an oasis in southwestern Morocco at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, with rose-colored ramparts and a thousand year old palm grove. Sumptuous and exuberant, it radiates splendor and mysticism and casts a magic spell on all who visit. Marrakesh has the largest berber market (souk) in Morocco and also hosts the busiest square in Africa. Founded in 1062 as the capital of the Almoravid dynasty, it continued in the 12th century as capital of the Almohads. Marrakech remained a political, economic and cultural center for a long period. Its influence was felt throughout the western Muslim world, from North Africa to Andalusia. Marrakech also became known as a magnet for some of the greatest saints of Islam, many of whom are buried within the city. Marrakech, like Fez, is a genuinely Islamic city in both its genesis and traditions. Marrakech has impressive monuments dating from that period: the Koutoubiya Mosque, the Kasbah, the battlements, monumental doors and gardens. Other architectural jewels include the Bandia Palace, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Saadian Tombs and Place Jamaa El Fna, an open-air theater. The modern city was constructed in 1913 during the French occupation of the country and reflects the European influence. But the essence of the city remains the same.

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