Riad Anata Cooking Class

Your four hour cooking class experience at Riad Anata will begin with a trip to the local market. You will wander with your Chef, either Samira or Hassania, through the narrow alleyways of Fes’ ancient Medina to a street lined with produce vendors and butchers. You and your chef will decide what to make: cous cous, tagine, salad, soup, and dessert are all choices you can make as you see what’s on offer at the market.

When you arrive back at the riad, you will unload your shopping baskets in the beautiful open-air rooftop kitchen. You’ll start by boiling water for traditional mint tea, which will keep you hydrated and refreshed as you cook your four-course meal. You’ll quickly get to work chopping vegetables for salad, learning how to smoke aubergines on the cooktop for stew, and start slow-cooking a meat dish with a delicious blend of spices including turmeric, cinnamon, cracked pepper, and bright orange saffron. You will learn how to separate the good lentils from the bad, when to add vegetables or dried fruit to your tagine, and how to prepare between 4 and 6 complex and mouth-watering dishes including starters so they are all ready at the same time.

As you prepare your meal and share in conversation with your Chef about what goes in to each dish, why some flavours pair well together and what Moroccan cuisine means to local culture, your mouth will water in anticipation of all the fantastic food you are learning to cook in traditional North African methods. Our advice? Bring something to take notes with as you chop, slice, simmer, and sear! You’ll want to return home and cook a feast for your friends and family, and Chefs Samira or Hassania will ensure you have all the knowledge you need to share these unique flavours among friends back home.

When it comes time to dine, you will set the patio table with beautiful crockery and glass and silverware, and serve your meal on the rooftop terrace overlooking the city and the rolling hills surrounding Fes. Sharing the dining experience with fellow classmates, your Chef, and anyone you’ve invited to join is one of the most special moments of an incredible day. As you savour every bite knowing how much passion went in to creating each dish, you close a memorable day with a fine dining experience that truly reflects the richness and diversity of Morocco.

This cooking class is so much more than a lesson in how to make traditional Moroccan cuisine. It is an experience that offers you a glimpse into life in Fes, from your excursion to the market to your appreciation for the rich North African culture that comes through each course of the meal. Riad Anata offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live like a local for a day and enjoy the very best that Morocco has to offer!

The experience is available to guests and non-guests of Riad Anata. It is offered at 10:00am and 3:00pm daily. Vegetarian options are available. Group classes cost 50 euros per person, and private classes cost 80 euros per person. If you cook more food than you are able to eat, guests are welcome to join to partake in the meal for 25 euros each. Children are more than welcome to participate, and they can eat for 15 euros or experience the whole class for 40 euros.

We look forward to welcoming you to our cooking experience at Riad Anata!