Types of Markets

Tangier, a city of over one million people, is served by many different types of food shops and markets. Based on my observations over the past three months, they fall into about a dozen categories.
 

Super Markets

Super markets are quickly becoming the norm for food purchases in the developing world. In Tangier, western-style grocery stores stock a wide variety of fresh and processed foods, imported brands, and household and cleaning needs. Most have similar layouts to American chains, with sections for fresh produce, milk, meat and fish, bakery, deli, dry goods, and household supplies. The sizes vary: some independent neighborhood grocery stores are relatively small, some Wal-Mart style super markets located on the outskirts of the city are massive and offer consumer goods such as electronics and sports equipment in addition to groceries. Regardless of the size, all stores of this type are characterized by a formal price system, shopping carts and cashier lanes, and Western-style layouts with tile floors and bright lighting. However, many other types of shops and markets persist.

 

Alimentation General

Alimentation General translates to “general food store.” These shops, found in every neighborhood, are the go-to places for basic daily needs. They are relatively small and carry mostly dry and canned goods, some processed and snack foods, oil, milk, fresh bread, eggs, cheese, juice, usually some fresh fruits and vegetables. They also have things like laundry detergent, dish soap, and shampoo. They are usually less expensive than the supermarkets.

 

Central Covered Market

The large central market offers fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and olives. There are dozens of vendors within a large building, and each vendor usually offers a specific type of product: either fruit or vegetables, olives, chicken and eggs, or beef. Cheese is mostly sold by individual women with small informal stands within the market. Produce and meet are usually less expensive than the supermarket, but not always.

 

 

Street Vendors

In addition to the central market, fresh local fruit, vegetables, and cheese are also sold in less formal street stands, either on wheeled tables, blankets, or out of vans or trucks. These vendors are always less expensive than the supermarket and usually less expensive than the central covered market as well.

Fruit sec

Known as fruit sec, which means “dried fruit” in French, these small shops and stands sell  mostly processed snack foods, chips, candy, and cookies, as well as nuts and dried fruit. Most items cost less than a dollar, and for 10-25¢ you can buy a small scoop of nuts or sunflower seeds wrapped in a paper cone. You can find one on nearly every street, and on the busy main boulevard, most blocks have two or three.

Laiterie/Milbana/Cremerie

These types of shops, known as a laiteries or cremeries (literally milk store or creamery) in French and a milbanas in Moroccan Arabic, sell a variety of quick, inexpensive, on the go meals and snacks. The most common  offerings are sandwiches made with traditional Moroccan breads – hobz makalah, harcha, or erghraygef – filled with fresh cheese, butter, hard-boiled eggs, mortadella, olive oil, or nut butters. These types of sandwiches usually cost between 5 dirham (about 60¢) and 15 dirham. They also sometimes offer fresh juices and pastries, and some have processed snacks and bottled juices as well.

 

Sandwich Shops

Somewhat similar to the Laiteries, sandwich shops sell quick meals and snacks, mostly sandwiches made with eggs, chicken, liver, shrimp or beef, topped with vegetables and French fries. Prices ranges from 10 dirham (about $1.20) to 30 dirham.

 They are very popular and quite tasty.

Bakery/Patisserie

There are many bakeries in Tangier, offering fresh bread, cakes, cookies, and pastries. They are multiple types - the largest kind is a western-style store with at least a dozen varieties of fresh bread, both Moroccan styles and French styles like baguettes. They will also offer many kind of cookies and pastries. They vary in price but tend to be a little more expensive. 

A second type of bakery is the small street stand. These specialize in griddle-cooked Moroccan breads such as erghaygef and harcha, and usually offer honey, cheese, nut butters, and olive oil as accompaniments for a quick snack. Some offer soups or simple fish dishes as well, which can be eaten while standing there or wrapped up to go. 

A third type of patisserie specializes in the popular deep-fried treats that are popular here. They usually have some baked cookies as well, but the focus is the huge platters of golden-brown swirls of dough, fried and then soaked in a sugar-honey syrup.

Butchers

In some of the more residential areas, you can find stand-alone butcher shops not connected to a larger market. These tend to sell either beef or chicken, usually not both. Many also sell lamb or mutton. They often sell fresh vegetables too, making them easy stops for all the ingredients needed for home cooking.

Most of the meat arrives in large pieces – whole sides of beef are delivered to the shop and displayed, being cut and wrapped in paper as the customer purchases it rather than pre-cut and displayed in plastic wrap. Chickens are often sold whole, although you can easily find smaller pieces.

  

As pigs are haram - prohibited in Islam - it is almost impossible to find fresh pork, although you can find processed ham at import grocery stores.

 

Specialty vendors – in addition to stores selling many types of food, there are stands and shops that sell just specific items, such as dates or spices. These are mostly found in the market district of the old city.

 

In addition to these types of markets and snack shops, there are hundreds of simple cafés, serving little other than tea and coffee, upscale cafés with full menus, and a wide range of sit-down restaurants.