SHEEP BRAINS? OK, I GUESS.

The thumbnail doesn’t match the title, I know. But you have to work to get to the sheep brains part. I can’t just give that away!

Joe and I have been on several gastronomy tours during our travels and loved them! So, I convinced L to give one a try, as she had never been!

Despite eating lunch, L and I were both pretty hungry and looking forward to food, food, food!! After struggling to find yet another obscure meeting point, we were flirting strongly with hanger and more than ready to start the tour.

But our guide would literally not stop talking. So much information. Too much information. And he knew he talked too much, he even admitted it. Buuuuuttt he still wouldn’t stop talking. His words were lost on me because all I could hear was the sound of my own gut rumbling.

But we followed him dutifully through the souks (marketplaces) and waited patiently as he doled out tiny morsels in between his long-winded explanations about I don’t even know what. Looking back, I am grateful for the experience because we ate a lot of food from a lot of different places we never would have had the courage to order on our own. But in the moment, I just wanted to eat. I was done listening.

So don’t expect any riveting light-bulb moments here. I’ll show you what we ate and that will be all you get! Except I’m still me, so I will probably also be too verbose. Just like our guide. Geesh.

*^{WE SAMPLED FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEASONED OLIVES.}*

*^{WE DIDN’T EAT ANY HERBS HERE, BUT WE STOOD NEXT TO THE STALL FOR WHAT FELT LIKE AN HOUR. THE SMELL WAS INCREDIBLE. I TOOK A PICTURE BECAUSE I HAD TO DO SOMETHING TO REMAIN ENGAGED.}*

By this time it was dark and we left the souks and headed into Jemma El-Fna, which is a wild place. This is where the snake charmers and monkey handlers are. There’s also a million other things you never thought you’d see before. Like 37 turtles piled on top of each other in a basket. Or a hedgehog eating off the same piece of lettuce as a peacock and a chameleon. All of whom are owned by men wanting your money when you hesitate at the sight just a moment too long or pull out your phone for a pic.

I digress. See, told you. Jemma El-Fna also has a bustling food stall culture. It’s pretty cool, if not totally overwhelming, when you’re in there. Just tent after tent selling all kinds of delectables, with picnic benches beside every one. Some of them were set with fabric table cloths and silver cutlery.

First was the infamous snail soup. I had read about this but really didn’t have interest in ordering it. But here we were…pulling up a stool in front of the snail vendor. Grab a toothpick and a snail, jab it at the base, pull out the body, eat it, drink the broth. Done.

Then we sat down for a delicious tomato soup and “cookie”.

Last stop in Jemma was…you guessed it…the sheep head stall.

First, we were served cheek and tongue (left), then brains (right). Yes, L and I ate them both.

Onward. We left Jemma El-Fna and walked back through the souks to an herbalist shop. This was basically a sales pitch but I was grateful to wash down the sheep brains with some delicious tea.

Despite being middle aged and having my fair share of maladies, I did not buy anything to solve my problems. Maybe next time.

One stop remained on the tour: a four-course sit-down dinner. Chicken tajine, lamb tangia, and a slew of side dishes!

This gastronomy tour was certainly nothing like the others I have been on. But why should it be? A different country, a different continent, a vastly different culture. It reminded me that traveling is about putting aside your expectations and letting life be your guide. Guten appetite.