Buying guide
Where to Buy Fresh Herbs & Mint in Marrakech
Produce stalls at Bab Doukkala, the Mellah and every neighbourhood market
Moroccan food leans as hard on fresh herbs as on dried spice: fistfuls of coriander and flat-leaf parsley in every tagine and salad, big fragrant bunches of spearmint for tea, and seasonal wild herbs from the mountains. They cost next to nothing at any produce market, and buying them the local way — by the tied bunch, dazzlingly fresh — is one of the small joys of shopping here.
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The essential herbs
Spearmint — nana — is the herb of Moroccan mint tea, sold in huge fragrant bunches at every produce market. Coriander (kuzbra) and flat-leaf parsley (maadnous) are the twin greens of the kitchen, usually tied together and chopped by the handful into tagines, salads, chermoula and harira. You'll also find celery leaf, and seasonally, wild herbs and greens brought down from the Atlas and Ourika valleys.
In winter, tea cooks add wormwood (chiba) for a bitter, warming edge, or lemon verbena (louiza) for a fragrant, calming brew — both sold in bunches alongside the mint.
Where and how to buy
The best herbs are at the working produce markets — Bab Doukkala, the Mellah, and every neighbourhood souk — where they're sold by the tied bunch for a few coins and turned over fast, so they're always fresh. Buy where local shoppers buy and where the bunches look perky and smell strong.
Herbs don't travel, so they're for cooking in Morocco — perfect if you're self-catering or taking a class. To keep a bunch fresh for a day or two, stand it in a glass of water like flowers, or wrap the stems in a damp cloth.
How to shop like a local
- Buy herbs by the tied bunch, the way locals do; a fistful of mint, coriander or parsley costs only a few coins.
- Choose perky, strong-smelling bunches from busy stalls; limp or yellowing herbs have been sitting too long.
- Buy spearmint fresh the day you'll make tea; it wilts fast and is best used quickly.
- In winter, try chiba (wormwood) or verbena in your tea — sold in bunches beside the mint.
- Keep herbs alive by standing them stems-down in a glass of water or wrapping the stems in a damp cloth.
Bargaining etiquette
- Fresh herbs are so cheap and near-fixed that haggling makes no sense — just pay the few coins asked.
- Buying your herbs with the rest of your produce from one stall keeps things simple and friendly.
What to avoid
- Don't buy limp, yellowing or weak-smelling bunches; fresh herbs should be vivid and fragrant.
- Don't try to take fresh herbs home; they're for cooking in Morocco, not for the flight.
- Avoid pre-bagged herbs wilting in the sun; buy loose bunches from a busy, shaded stall.
Frequently asked questions
What mint is used for Moroccan mint tea?
Spearmint — called nana — sold in big fragrant bunches at every Marrakech produce market. It's steeped with strong green tea and sugar. In winter, cooks may add wormwood (chiba) or lemon verbena (louiza) for a different, warming brew, both sold beside the mint.
Where do I buy fresh herbs in Marrakech?
At working produce markets — Bab Doukkala, the Mellah and every neighbourhood souk — where spearmint, coriander, parsley and seasonal herbs are sold by the tied bunch for a few coins and turned over fast, so they're always fresh.
How do I keep fresh herbs from wilting?
Stand the bunch stems-down in a glass of water like a bouquet, or wrap the stems in a damp cloth. Buy herbs the day you'll use them where possible, since spearmint and coriander wilt quickly, especially in the heat.
Keep exploring Marrakech food
Turn your market haul into dinner with a hands-on Marrakech cooking class, walk the souks with a guide on a market food tour, learn the Moroccan spices you just bought, or cook them at home with our Moroccan recipes. For the bigger picture, browse our food culture guides.