Street Food – Fez

Called the ‘soul of Morocco’, Fez is the world’s most authentic Islamic medieval city and is said to be the home of Moroccan cuisine.

This unique history is both a blessing and a curse. The city is criticised by many Moroccans for living in the past and now the struggle for modernity is taking its toll. It has the highest unemployment rates in the country and its old traditions suffocate attempts to modernise. 

Street Food: Fez tells the story of the struggle at the heart of the city; the attempt by conservatives to hold on to traditions while others try to modernise. It is a story that can be told through the city’s food.

The cuisine is influenced by a plethora of past inhabitants; Jews fleeing the inquisition, Berbers, Arabs, Andalusians, and even sub-Saharan Africans travelling via Fez to Mecca.

The medina’s ancient alleyways are a feast for the senses, with donkeys and carts jostling for space with pedestrians. It is also home to many Sufi brotherhoods, whose traditions of music and food are an important part of the culture of Fez.

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