Eating in Marrakech
 

I will be in Marrakech with my 19 year old daughter in early May. We have been reading online about the food there. A number of posts suggest eating from the street vendors.Is this food safe? We don't want to get sick. Is it safe to drink the water? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

No, it is not safe to drink the water. Buy bottled water and check to see that the top is sealed before you buy. And use it when brushing your teeth too.

I'd be careful about street vendor food but there are a lot of food booths in the Place J. Fna where you can see them cooking the food. I had chicken kebobs there and was fine. I wouldn't eat ground meat, but chicken, lamb and cooked vegetable should be all right. Eat only fruit that you can peel and wash the skins first.

You'll probably get more responses about the food but definitely do not drink the water.

I got a nasty stomach upset in Marrakech - not from the orange juice that we bought from one of the open-air stalls on place Djema el Fnaa, but from the salad leaves served with my starter at a rather upmarket restaurant! I was so careful to avoid salad leaves and uncooked or unpeeled fruit and veg in the lower-end places, but completely forgot that the same rules apply in the posh places too!

Street food is often a safe option as turnover is fast, it's cooked quickly, usually to order, and usually at high temperatures (over a flame) and it doesn't tend to be left sitting around (unlike a lot of restaurant food). And of course, you can see exactly how the food is prepared before ordering. Just follow your nose/the locals!

Oh, and I agree that you should avoid the tap water. Bottled water is available everywhere - just check the cap seal is intact.

And avoid the ice...and carry purell or a similar product with you to use before you eat.

It sounds like a chore to do all these things, but once you get into the groove, it's very easy.

thanks for all your replies about the food and water. I will try to be careful.