Marché Central El Jadida

The Marché Central of El Jadida is the town's main covered market and a practical place to eat cheaply in this Atlantic coastal city of the Casablanca-Settat region, Morocco, about 90 kilometres southwest of Casablanca. The market sells fish landed at El Jadida's port, vegetables, fruit, olives, spices, bread and meat, and small stalls and grills around it serve ready-to-eat food. For visitors, it offers a chance to see daily local life and eat simple Moroccan market food within a short walk or taxi ride of the Portuguese City (Mazagan), the UNESCO-listed fortress district. The food is basic and fresh. Signature items include grilled sardines, olives, khobz (round Moroccan bread), fried fish, salads and tea. Visitors can buy fish from a stall and have it grilled at nearby counters, or assemble a picnic of bread, olives, cheese and fruit. Prices are low at roughly 40-120 MAD (about $4-13) per person, and larger seafood orders cost more. The atmosphere is busy and informal, with vendors calling out prices, crates of fish on ice, the smell of grilled sardines and crowds of shoppers. There is no dress code, seating is basic or non-existent, and noise levels are high in the morning. Alcohol is not served. The market is open from morning to mid-afternoon and is at its best before about noon, when stock is freshest and the stalls are fully staffed. There are no reservations, and visitors walk in. Cleanliness varies by stall, so choosing busy counters with quick turnover is sensible. Small bills are useful, and bargaining over produce is normal, though prices for prepared food are usually fixed. A visit combines well with the old town, the Portuguese cistern and the beachfront promenade. Photographing vendors is best done with permission.