Moroccan Strawberry Milk

Morocco's beloved street juice: ripe strawberries blended with cold whole milk and a touch of orange blossom water, poured over crushed ice in tall glasses: the quintessential sound and scent of the Jemaa el-Fna market in Marrakech on a warm evening

Origin: Morocco (particularly Marrakech, Casablanca and the Souss-Massa plain)

From the journey of Strawberry.

Morocco is one of the world's major strawberry exporters, with the Souss-Massa plain near Agadir producing enormous quantities destined for European markets. But within Morocco, the strawberry has been absorbed into the country's vibrant street juice culture with characteristic inventiveness. The juice stalls (stands de jus de fruits) of Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fna, Casablanca's corniche and Fez's medina are among the most sensory-rich environments in the food world; mountains of oranges, pomegranates, avocados and, above all, strawberries in season. The distinctly Moroccan contribution is the addition of orange blossom water (ma zhar): a traditional flavouring used across North African and Levantine cooking; which transforms a simple fruit-and-milk smoothie into something with a distinctly Moroccan character: floral, slightly perfumed, and refreshing in a way that pure fruit cannot achieve alone.

Ingredients

Fruit

400 g very ripe strawberries, hulled

Milk

300 ml cold whole milk

Sweetener

2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk or 1 tbsp honey

Flavouring

1 tsp orange blossom water (ma zhar)

Serving

Crushed ice to serve

Garnish

2 sprigs fresh mint (optional garnish)

Method

Hull the strawberries and place in a blender with the cold milk, condensed milk (or honey) and orange blossom water.
Blend on high speed until completely smooth and frothy. Taste and adjust sweetness: the condensed milk sweetens gently; add more if needed. The orange blossom water should be present but not dominant; adjust accordingly.
Fill two tall glasses with crushed ice. Pour the strawberry milk over the ice, allowing it to foam slightly as it hits the cold ice.
Serve immediately, garnished with a sprig of fresh mint and a small strawberry if desired.

Notes

This drink is absolutely at its best with the freshest, ripest strawberries: the kind available at Moroccan markets from April to June. Orange blossom water (distilled from bitter orange blossoms) is available at Middle Eastern and North African grocery stores, as well as many supermarkets in the baking aisle. Rose water is a pleasant substitute if orange blossom is unavailable, giving a different but equally Moroccan character. For a vegan version, substitute oat milk: the neutral creaminess works beautifully with the orange blossom.

The Gastrographer

Name: Moroccan Strawberry Milk
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Morocco
Ingredients: 400 g very ripe strawberries, hulled; 300 ml cold whole milk; 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk or 1 tbsp honey; 1 tsp orange blossom water (ma zhar); Crushed ice to serve; 2 sprigs fresh mint (optional garnish)

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control