Marché Central

Marché Central is the main covered food market of downtown Casablanca, Morocco, located between Rue Chaouia and Boulevard Mohammed V in the colonial-era city centre. Built in the early twentieth century, it is a working market that serves residents rather than a souvenir bazaar, which is the main way it differs from craft-focused shopping elsewhere in the city. The stock is almost entirely food: whole fish and shellfish landed at the Atlantic port, seasonal vegetables and fruit, olives and preserved lemons, dried fruit and nuts, fresh herbs, meat counters and spice sellers offering ras el hanout, cumin, saffron and argan oil. Because customers are mostly local, the ratio of authentic to tourist goods is very high, and there are few trinkets. Prices are quoted per kilo and are generally close to fair; light bargaining is accepted at spice and dried-fruit stalls, but fish and produce are usually bought at the stated price. Payment is overwhelmingly in cash in Moroccan dirhams (MAD), and small notes help. No VAT refund applies to market produce. The atmosphere is busy, loud and fragrant, especially in the morning when restaurants and households buy fish, and it thins out by early afternoon. The layout is a covered hall with fish counters clustered on one side, vegetable and fruit stalls in the middle and spice and olive sellers along the edges. Must-visit corners are the fish section, where small grill stalls and cafes will cook a selection of seafood bought on the spot for a modest charge, and the spice and olive stalls, which pack vacuum-sealed portions suitable for travel. Eating on site is one of the main reasons to visit: simple seafood grills, fresh juice bars and bakeries sit around the market, and the central location puts the market within walking distance of Place des Nations Unies and the Mohammed V boulevard. Visitors should keep bags closed in the crowded aisles and avoid carrying fresh fish for long in warm weather.