The First Cooking School in Morocco, Taught by a Dada

La Maison Arabe opened the first cooking school in Morocco in 2001, which means that if you have taken a Moroccan cooking class anywhere, some part of the format probably started here.

The teaching is done by a dada, and that word is the reason to book. Dadas are the traditional cooks of Moroccan households, women who learned in kitchens rather than schools and who hold the recipes that were never written down. A translator works alongside, in Arabic, English or French, so nothing is lost.

The workshop room is purpose-built and the equipment is current, but the ingredients are the ordinary excellent local ones, and each person gets their own station rather than sharing.

Two formats. The one-hour express, at 13:30 for lunch or 18:30 for dinner. And the three-hour, at 10:00 or 15:00. Depending on the day, the class runs at the school beside the Riad-Hotel La Maison Arabe or out at their gardens, away from the noise of the medina.

Up to fifteen people, with the meal, afternoon tea, the tasting and live entertainment.

Drinks and transport are not included. Children under twelve are not admitted, for safety.