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Exotic Flavors of Fes
Cooking Class Vacation Itinerary
Cooking Classes in Morocco
Day 1 – Sunday – Arrive in Fez. Transfer from the airport to the stunning Dar Roumana, your exclusive home for the next 6 days. Settle in and relax before meeting your fellow cooking class participants in the evening for an introduction to Moroccan food and a 4-course, welcome dinner. Your hosts will give you an overview of the week’s schedule of market visits, cooking classes, tastings of unique local products, day trips, and farewell dinner, along with any excursion options you may have booked during your stay.
Day 2 – Monday, 9:30 AM – After breakfast at your hotel, your cooking adventure begins! You will travel with your host to explore the souks of Fez – some of the most vibrant sections of the medina - where you will obtain some of the ingredients for your cooking class and will likely sample many of the specialty products as the vendors encourage you to taste their wares. At approximately 3:00 pm you will head to the Dar kitchen, where you will begin to prepare today’s menu. Today’s lesson runs from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM and, will focus on dishes such as flaky pastry briouates, tagines, harira soup, and a variety of delicately spiced cooked vegetable salads. Tonight, enjoy the fruits of your labor in a relaxing dinner at the Dar.
Day 3 – Tuesday – After breakfast at your hotel, you will depart for your full-day culinary excursion to sample the local olive oil (or honey, depending on the season) and explore Morocco's famous Roman ruins. Travel through the beautiful countryside and picturesque Moroccan villages in the foothills of the Rif Mountains to discover the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis. Enjoy a tour of this unique UNESCO World Heritage site dating from the 3rd century BC with its extensive remains and intact mosaics. Move onto the historic city of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, Morocco’s most spiritual centre where you will see the local olive groves and learn about the methods of harvesting and pressing the olives to create the dark and fruity oil that is the base of culinary and medicinal and cosmetic tradition countrywide. Following the tour of an oil mill you will enjoy an olive oil tasting. Compare the most representative oils and learn how to sense the bitter, spicy, or fruity sensations of the oil, as well as the other characteristics of olive oils. You will learn about the different kinds of oils and their labels – organic, virgin, extra virgin, single olive variety, acidity percentage, origin, etc. – as well as the benefits of olive oil for health and culinary uses. Enjoy a traditional home-cooked lunch on a rooftop overlooking the mountains, the holy city and the Roman ruins of Volubilis. Stroll back through the hilltop town’s winding streets and picturesque square. Depart 9.30 AM and return between 4 PM and 4:30 PM.
After returning from your day trip, you will have some time to relax and take advantage of free time this evening to explore the local dining scene.
Day 4 – Wednesday, 9:30AM – 1:00PM – After breakfast at your hotel, you will return to the kitchen at 9:30AM and begin your final cooking class. Today’s lesson runs from 9:30AM to 1:00PM and will focus on dishes such as pastilla, Moroccan pastry, breads and cookies, and jams, or other dishes selected by cooking class participants. After a light lunch, including dishes you have prepared in class, you have the afternoon free to participate in one of our half-day excursion options, such as a guided-tour of the medina, do some shopping, or enjoy some down time. This evening you are free to sample the culinary offerings of the local restaurants for dinner or have a truly unique experience and join a local family in their home for an authentic Moroccan meal.
Day 5 – Thursday – Breakfast at your hotel. Today you have the entire day free to take advantage of our full-day or half-day excursion options or venture out on your own to enjoy the many unique experiences Fez has to offer. This evening you will enjoy a farewell dinner at Dar Roumana, accompanied by a group of traditional musicians.
Day 6 - Friday – Breakfast at your hotel and check out. We say farewell to remarkable Fez. Transfer to the Fez airport.
