ⵜⵉⵣⵉ ⴻⵏ ⵜⵉⵛⴾⴰ, is Berber for the Tizi n’Tichka pass which is a mountain pass in Morocco linking the south-east of Marrakesh to the city of Ouarzazat through the High Atlas mountains. It lies above the Marrakesh plains, and is a gateway to the Sahara Desert. It reaches an elevation of 2,260 metres (7,415 ft) above sea level, and is the highest major mountain pass in North Africa. The road was constructed along the old caravan trail by the French military in 1936, and is now part of Morocco’s National Route 9.
The mountains were beautiful… lots of trees and much of the landscape reminded us of Sedona, Az and the Painted Desert.
We are finally at the Atlantic again, in Essaouira to be precise. It was founded in the 7th century BCE by the Phoenicians, then the Romans took over and the Portuguese. Until then it was called Mogador and was an important location for trade. Today it is a lovely seaside town, preferred by surfers and artists and anyone who looks to escape the cold winter weather. So here we are!
We had a ~4 hour drive from Marrakech, stopped to see the Argan trees with the goats and an Argan production facility
At the Argan production facility we learned a lot about this unusual tree:
1. It only grows in the south of Morocco, nowhere else in the world
2. Goats love it!
3. There are 21 million Argan trees in Morocco
4. Argan trees are related to olive trees. They are also called Moroccan olive tree, iron tree or goat tree.
5. You have to peel the Argan nuts first, crack them, then there is a seed inside; looks like a small almond and has a bitter taste
6. Argan trees have their maximum production when they’re 60 years old!
7. Part of the seeds you use for cooking, you have to roast before you grind them. Gives a nutty flavor! Part of the seeds you use for beauty products you leave raw when grinding.
For the evening we signed up for a traditional Moroccan cooking class! Fortunately it was only one other person beside us, Justine, a lovely young woman from France, who took this class at Khadijah & Hussein’s house, 10 walking minutes outside the Medina in Essaouira. We prepared a Moroccan salad, Chicken with Couscous and a lamb tarjine. Moroccan mint tea, orange juice and a persimmon milk with pomegranate kept us hydrated and happy! Everything was so delicious, it’s hard to describe!
Chef TedSteamed couscous, fluffed and massagedJustine measuring the rosewater for the couscousCouscous steamed above the pot with chicken and vegetablesLamb tarjine
