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Where to Eat Snails in Marrakech
Babbouche — Marrakech's famous snail soup — is one of the city's most beloved street snacks, sold from steaming cauldrons at Jemaa el-Fna and medina corners, especially as the evening cools. Small land snails are simmered in a dark, intensely aromatic broth spiced with a medley that can include cumin, aniseed, thyme, liquorice root, and tea, then served by the bowlful with a pin to winkle the snails out and the broth sipped afterwards as a peppery, digestive tonic. Locals value it as much for the spiced liquor as for the snails themselves. At 5-20 MAD a bowl it is cheap, warming, and quintessentially Marrakchi. See food types for more street specialities.
Where to find babbouche
The classic spot is Jemaa el-Fna, where snail stalls set up with big bubbling pots, stacks of bowls, and a crowd of locals perched on stools, most active in the late afternoon and evening. You will also find babbouche carts at medina street corners and near markets. Look for the busiest pot with steady turnover and a line of locals rather than tourists — a sign the broth is fresh and well made. It is very much an evening and cool-season favourite, believed to warm and settle the stomach.
The broth is the point
While the snails are the headline, regulars come as much for the broth, a dark, complex infusion of up to a dozen spices and herbs prized as a digestive and cold remedy. Once you have eaten the snails, you drink the remaining liquor straight from the bowl. The flavour is savoury, peppery, and slightly medicinal from the aniseed and liquorice — an acquired but rewarding taste. If snails are not for you, some vendors will happily serve you a cup of just the broth to try.
How to eat it
You are given a pin or toothpick to pull each snail from its shell; discard the shells in the provided bowl and work through the portion, then drink the broth. It is informal, communal, and cheap, eaten standing or on a stool at the stall. Hygiene-wise, stick to busy stalls where the pot is kept at a rolling simmer and turnover is high. Babbouche pairs perfectly with an evening wander through Jemaa el-Fna, or as one stop on a night food tour of the square.
Practical tips
- Go in the late afternoon or evening, when the snail stalls are busiest and the broth freshest.
- Choose the pot with the longest line of locals for the best and safest bowl.
- Drink the spiced broth after the snails — regulars value it as much as the meat.
- Use the provided pin to winkle out each snail; it is meant to be eaten slowly.
Related questions
What is babbouche?
Babbouche is Marrakech snail soup: small land snails simmered in a dark, heavily spiced broth of cumin, aniseed, thyme, liquorice, and more, eaten with a pin and finished by drinking the broth.
Where can I eat snails in Marrakech?
Mainly at Jemaa el-Fna, where snail stalls set up big steaming pots in the late afternoon and evening, plus medina street corners and market areas.
What does snail soup taste like?
The snails are mild and slightly chewy; the broth is savoury, peppery, and faintly medicinal from aniseed and liquorice. Locals prize the broth as a digestive and cold remedy.
Is snail soup safe to eat in Marrakech?
Yes, when eaten from a busy stall where the pot is kept at a constant simmer and turnover is high. Choose the vendor with the biggest local crowd.
Try babbouche snail soup at Jemaa el-Fna