What's the best Moroccan gift for a foodie?

Foodies are the easiest people to shop for in Morocco, because the spice souk is a gift shop in disguise. The cornerstone is ras el hanout — the complex 'top of the shop' blend that can carry twenty-plus spices — bought loose from a trusted spice merchant who grinds it fresh, around 30–80 MAD for a generous bag. Add saffron, which is grown around Taliouine and is far cheaper here than at home (check it is real Moroccan saffron, not safflower 'fake saffron'), plus cumin, sweet paprika, and a little harissa paste. A handful of muslin bags of spices weighs nothing and packs flat.

The two condiments I never leave without are amlou and argan oil. Amlou — toasted almonds, argan oil, and honey blended into a nutty spread — is the thing every foodie I have gifted it to has texted me about afterwards; a jar is 60–150 MAD. Culinary argan oil (darker and nuttier than the cosmetic kind, made from roasted kernels) is the other prize, drizzled over couscous or salads. Both are best bought from a women's co-operative on the Marrakech–Essaouira road, where you can taste before you buy and the money supports the producers.

For the cook who wants to actually make Moroccan food, give them the tools and a sweet finish. A glazed cooking tagine (150–400 MAD) for the stovetop, a bag of medjool dates and dried figs, a tin of orange-blossom or rose water for pastries, and a packet of gunpowder green tea with dried mint for the tea ritual. A good English-language Moroccan cookbook from a Marrakech bookshop ties the whole hamper together.

Honest customs note, because it matters for food gifts: dried, sealed, commercially packaged items — spices, tea, dates, sealed oils, sealed jars of amlou — are almost always fine to bring into most countries as long as you declare them. Loose fresh produce, unsealed homemade jars, and anything meat- or dairy-based can be confiscated. When in doubt, buy it vacuum-sealed or factory-packaged and tick the 'food' box on your customs card — declaring is free and saves the whole hamper.