Tangier Tapas Cooking Class — Spanish-Moroccan Small Plates

For decades Tangier was an international and Spanish-administered city, and Spain sits just fourteen kilometres across the water. That closeness left a lasting mark on how Tangier eats: small plates, fried and grilled seafood, and a tapas-style sociability layered over Moroccan spice. This class explores that unique crossover, a food culture you will not find in the imperial cities.

You cook a spread of Spanish-Moroccan small plates using the fresh seafood of the strait: gambas al ajillo–style garlic prawns brightened with Moroccan cumin and coriander; pescaíto frito, the Andalusian fried fish adapted with charmoula; patatas with a harissa or paprika kick; and grilled calamari. The point is the dialogue between the two traditions — Spanish technique meeting Moroccan spice.

The host explains how Tangier's history produced this hybrid table, how the same ingredients are treated on each side of the strait, and how to build a balanced tapas spread. You learn a handful of transferable techniques — frying fish so it stays juicy, a good garlic-and-oil base, spicing without overwhelming — that work far beyond Morocco.

It is a sociable, fun, less formal class than a full tagine session, eaten the tapas way with everything shared, good bread and a fresh drink. It suits food lovers curious about culinary crossovers and anyone who has enjoyed Andalusia and wants to see how it echoes on the African shore.