What souvenirs are typically Moroccan and authentic?

If you want souvenirs that are truly of Morocco rather than generic 'made somewhere' tourist tat, focus on the crafts tied to real Moroccan traditions. Top of the list: hand-knotted Berber rugs and flatweave kilims, each region with its own patterns; leather babouches and poufs from the Fes tanneries; pierced-brass and coloured-glass lanterns; and hand-painted ceramics and tagines from Fes, Safi and Tamegroute. These are skills passed down generations and you can't really buy them anywhere else.

On the consumable side, the authentic standouts are argan oil (cosmetic or culinary, ideally from a women's cooperative), ras el hanout and other spice blends, dried rose buds, and the lovely rose water and orange-blossom water used in Moroccan cooking and beauty. A traditional Moroccan tea set — the silver-coloured teapot, the painted glasses, the engraved tray — is both useful and deeply Moroccan, and it makes the mint-tea ritual something you can recreate at home.

For something more personal: a djellaba (the hooded robe) or a kaftan, a felt or wool fez, hand-woven cactus-silk (sabra) scarves and cushion covers, Tuareg and Berber silver jewellery, and small wooden boxes inlaid with thuya wood from Essaouira, which has a wonderful scent. Hand of Fatima (khamsa) pieces in metal or ceramic are genuinely traditional protective symbols rather than invented souvenirs, and they're light to carry.

What I'd steer you away from: anything that screams mass production — printed 'I love Marrakech' magnets, cheap synthetic 'pashminas' that come from overseas, plastic 'amber' beads, and any 'genuine antique' offered at every other stall. A good honesty test is to ask yourself whether the piece reflects a real craft and could only really be Moroccan. Buy from the maker or a cooperative where you can, and you'll come home with things that carry a real story, not just a logo.