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6 Awesome Souvenirs to Bring Home From Your Trip to Morocco
With an incredible array of beautiful gifts on offer, you'll have a hard time containing yourself from going on a shopping spree in Morocco. Here, an abundance of open markets or souks filled with a dizzying array of colors, scents and charismatic vendors skillfully guide travelers into their irresistible and mesmerizing world of goods, where the variety of things to buy seems endless. From perfumes and freshly pressed oils, to spices and baskets full of fragrant tea, if you're looking for awesome souvenirs, you've come to the right place.
To get you started, and maybe save you some time sifting through all those choices, we've put together this list of items we think would make the perfect Moroccan souvenir.
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6 Awesome Souvenirs to Bring Home From Your Trip to Morocco
Babouche
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If you want to keep things traditional, then babouche, or traditional Moroccan shoes are a great choice of souvenir. These slippers come in a multitude of colors and patterns, can either be pointy or rounded and are designed to be worn indoors or outside. Be sure to pick a pair that fit snugly as in time they will loosen up to fit the shape of your foot perfectly. If you want your babouche to last you a while, try to avoid the cheap plastic ones and aim for a proper leather pair like the ones sold in local markets.
Spices
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When you visit a Moroccan market, don't be surprised to find stall after stall of colorful and fragrant spices. Turmeric, cinnamon, anise seed, ginger, cumin and saffron, where do you even begin! The best bet is probably to stick to the spices you're sure you or whoever you're shopping for will use. However, if you want to be a little more adventurous, be sure to purchase a few bags of rass al hanout. A unique blend of spices used in North African cuisine that each vendor will have their own recipe for. Perfect for making your own authentic Moroccan tagine or spiced couscous once you get back home.
Handmade Soap
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A quality bar of handmade soap is always a solid choice of souvenir to take home, as who doesn't love a fragrant soap. Made with natural, local ingredients such as argan oil, olive oil, vanilla, orange blossom, lavender and mint, you'll be spoiled for choice as you walk past vendor after vendor selling soaps. If you want something really authentic, try looking for some beldi Soap. This black, gooey soap is what they use in traditional baths or hammams to get your skin as soft and smooth as a baby.
Argan Oil
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If nothing else, the one souvenir you should definitely bring home from your trip to The Western Kingdom is argan oil. Originating in Morocco, this beneficial, multi-purpose oil is a current favorite in the health and beauty industry where it is often referred to as liquid gold. Slather it on your body and hair, eat it, make your own argan soap, do whatever you want with it, but if you're getting it in a touristy area, just make sure that what you're buying is actually argan oil and not an adulterated blend.
Moroccan Tea
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Turkey, Ireland and the UK might hold the title for largest per person consumption of tea, but Morocco isn't far behind. Tea plays a central role in Moroccan society where serving it has even become an art form in itself. That being said, you can expect to find some delicious tea here, specifically mint tea, and what better way to have your Moroccan mint tea than prepared and served in a beautiful traditional tea set which you can easily buy at a local supermarket or at one of the vibrant souks.
Solid Perfume
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If you're planning to visit some souks while you're in Morocco, you'll definitely come across quite a few piles of these colorful, confectionery-like blocks of solid perfume. You can use these blocks on your body, or to freshen up living spaces with the most ravishing, long-lasting scents. Being all natural, they make a perfect gift for family and friends as you don't have to worry about the harmful chemicals usually found in cosmetics. Just be careful where you buy your perfume as depending on the place, quality can differ significantly.
Conclusion
Shopping in Morocco can be fun, but you have to be ready for some heavy haggling if you're looking to get a good price i.e. not the tourist rate. If you really don't have the will to go through all that spirited negotiating, look for stalls with fixed price signs or do all your shopping in complexes like the Ensemble Artisanal in Marrakesh. Either way, make sure you have plenty of room in your suitcase for all the amazing souvenirs you'll see here.
