History of Fes – Morocco’s Cultural and Spiritual Capital

Fes is one of the oldest imperial cities in Morocco and the country’s cultural and spiritual heart. Founded in 789 AD by Idris I, and later expanded by Idris II, Fes quickly became a major center of learning, religion, and trade in North Africa. The city is best known for Fes El Bali, the ancient medina listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With more than 9,000 narrow streets, it is one of the world’s largest car-free urban areas. Walking through the medina feels like traveling back in time, surrounded by historic madrasas, mosques, traditional houses, and artisan workshops.

Fes is also home to Al Quaraouiyine University, founded in 859 AD, considered the oldest continuously operating university in the world. For centuries, scholars from Africa, Andalusia, and the Middle East came to Fes to study religion, science, and philosophy.

Today, Fes remains a living museum where traditions, craftsmanship, and daily life continue as they have for generations.

Street Food Tasting in Fes Medina

Exploring Fes street food is one of the best ways to understand the city’s culture. The medina is full of small food stalls where locals stop for quick, fresh, and flavorful meals prepared using traditional recipes.

Popular street food tasting in Fes includes:
• Bissara – a warm fava bean soup, perfect in the morning
• Maakouda – fried potato cakes, crispy and delicious
• Snail soup (Babbouche) a famous Fes specialty with aromatic spices
• Grilled kefta – seasoned minced meat cooked over charcoal
• Sfenj – Moroccan doughnuts, often enjoyed with mint tea
• Fresh olives and bread – served everywhere in the medina

Street food in Fes is authentic, affordable, and deeply local. Guests often enjoy tasting food directly from vendors who have been cooking in the same spot for decades, using recipes passed down through generations.

A Cultural Experience Through Food

Street food tasting in Fes is more than eating it is a cultural experience. While walking through the old medina, guests interact with local vendors, smell fresh spices, and see daily Moroccan life up close. This experience is especially memorable when done with a local guide, who explains the history of the food, ingredients, and traditions behind each dish. It allows travelers to enjoy Fes in a safe, authentic, and meaningful way.

Fes Snail Soup Tasting Experience

Guests from US enjoying snail soup in Fes, one of the most authentic Moroccan street food experiences in the old medina. During this Fes street food tasting, our guests stop at a traditional food stall to taste babbouche, a famous local snail soup prepared with a rich blend of Moroccan spices.

The snail soup is slowly cooked with cumin, anise, thyme, licorice root, chili, and herbal spices, creating a warm and flavorful broth loved by locals. This street food experience in Fes Medina allows travelers to discover real Moroccan flavors while walking through the historic UNESCO-listed old city.

Tasting snail soup in Fes is not only about food, but about culture, tradition, and daily local life. It is a must-try experience for travelers looking for authentic Moroccan street food and cultural immersion in Morocco.