About Graham Cornwell is a writer and historian who specializes in the history of modern Morocco. He has a PhD in History from Georgetown University, and is currently working on a book about the history of Moroccan mint tea.
The best place to eat cheaply in Moroccan cities
Mar 20
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A guide to the mahlaba
There’s no real easy analogy to the mahlaba in the US. The name itself is a literal translation of the French “laiterie” into Arabic, the root h-l-b referring to milk and dairy.
The name is slightly at odds with what mahlabas actually tend to look like, which is extremely brightly colored, brightly lit shops festooned with piles of fresh, tropical fruit or pictures of said fruit. Whatever the visual opposite of a glass of white milk is, that’s what a mahlaba looks like.
I wrote something about the mahlaba for the wonderful travel mag Roads & Kingdoms a while back. It was a tribute to the classic mahlaba meal: a fruit milkshake and a sandwich of hard-boiled egg and La Vache Qui Rit cheese on a wheel of khobz, the standard Moroccan bread. Mahlabas aren’t for coffee; I stick to juice.
And juice is where things get interesting. Nearly all mahlabas will have apples, bananas, and avocados; the best ones will have a huge range of fresh and dried fruits to throw in. You pick your fruit and then your mixer, either fresh-squeezed orange juice or whole milk, then decide if you want sugar added. Classic mixes include: banana-avocado-milk, apple-banana-orange, date-almond-milk.
In terms of terminology, a “jus d’avocat” or “jus de banane” will be the fruit mixed with milk. You can find these “juices” just at most cafes and many restaurants, too.
Because mahlabas tend to be small and tucked into residential neighborhoods, they tend to have regulars who stop by several times a week on their way to work. It’s not uncommon to see someone sit down while on a phone call and have his or her order brought out without ever uttering a word.
They’re extremely affordable, too: 20 dirhams (roughly 2 USD) will get you a jus d’avocat and an egg sandwich.
There are sometimes other food options. The glass display case might have rice, chopped beets, chopped carrots, corn, tuna, maybe other things. Some people like to mix it all up into a mayonaisse-y salad; others like to add it all onto a sandwich. I'm not a fan. There's also the turkey-based bologna-looking thing. Also not a fan of that, but it is quite popular.
When it comes to juices, however, I advise experimentation. Papaya-apple-banana with a milk base? Why not.
You can find mahlabas all over the country. In big cities, they tend to be clustered in middle class neighborhoods. But their bright signs and storefronts stand out, and they often keep long hours, open in the morning, staying open until 8 or 9 pm. They'll be the busiest in the morning, around lunch rush, and then again in the early evening, when many Moroccans head out to stroll, meet up with friends, and have a light meal. It's a place for quick, affordable, and fairly healthy sustenance, and it's the best place in Morocco to eat well, eat cheaply, and feel like a local.
