There’s no doubt in my mind that Moroccans are the greatest food lovers in the world, beating out even the Italians in their preoccupation with fresh, tasty cuisine. Their markets are full to bursting with fruit on the barrow, piles of cucumbers and beetroot brought in that morning from tiny farms on the town’s outskirts. Whole sides of beef hang in crowded alleys by butchers shops, but are always bought and eaten much too fast to spoil, and fresh squeezed orange juice is sold in the square for around forty cents a cup. The wealth of fresh produce combined with the legendary hospitality of the locals can leave, the unwary tourist feeling like a well-stuffed Christmas Turkey, and everywhere you go huge bowls of steaming lamb tagine are placed before you, always served with fresh rolls, and the obligatory sweet mint tea.

Tea is a way of life here, and is served from silver pots stuffed to bursting with mint. In summer it is served plain, but in winter herbs like fresh wormwood are added to warm the blood. The coffee is also well worth a mention, the Moroccans have elevated this modern staple to something between an art and a science; always perfectly brewed, smooth and black, without a hint of bitterness. Taking an afternoon coffee in a sidewalk café with an almond biscuit from a nearby bakery (you can d