Rabat – Paris will turn its attention to Moroccan gastronomy this month as “Food Temple Maroc” takes over Le Carreau du Temple (Temple Square) from September 18 to 20.

Morocco is the featured country for the 10th edition of the annual culinary festival, which previously spotlighted countries including Colombia, Australia, and Brazil. The 2026 program forms part of Mediterranean Season 2026, a wider cultural program highlighting contemporary creativity across the Mediterranean.

Across three days, the festival will combine food tastings, chef-led masterclasses, cooking workshops, pop-up restaurants, a Moroccan market, concerts, photography, and DJ sets inside the venue’s 1,800-square-meter hall.

Chefs Fatéma Hal and Abdel Alaoui will serve as the event’s culinary patrons, guiding a program designed to present Moroccan cuisine through both its traditional foundations and contemporary interpretations.

From couscous to contemporary Moroccan cooking

Visitors will be able to explore dishes ranging from couscous and tajine to pastilla, méchoui, pastries, and other Moroccan specialties.

The festival’s masterclasses will also focus on the transmission of recipes across generations. Among the planned sessions, Aïda and Kenza Tazi will prepare a milk and orange blossom pastilla, while Marie-Josée Ordener will lead a session centered on couscous and its role in family culinary traditions.

Restaurants and chefs based both in France and Morocco will operate temporary dining spaces throughout the weekend, giving visitors a chance to experience different interpretations of Moroccan cooking.

The program presents Morocco’s cuisine as the product of multiple historical influences, particularly Amazigh, Arab-Andalusian, and Jewish traditions that have helped shape the country’s culinary identity.

More than food

“Food Temple Maroc” will extend beyond the kitchen with a market inspired by Moroccan souks.

The market will feature spices, local products, crafts, and artisanal goods, alongside a bookstore presenting Moroccan literature, cultural publications, and cookbooks. Authors and chefs including Fatéma Hal, Abdel Alaoui, Nada El Hanini, and Aïda and Kenza Tazi are scheduled for book signings during the weekend.

Music will also play a central role. The opening evening on September 18 will combine Moroccan-inspired food with electronic music and Gnawa influences, featuring Retro Cassetta, SAMIFATI & Transe Gnawa Express, and Francis Latombe.

Moroccan singers OUM and Gaouta will perform during the weekend, adding soul and contemporary sounds to a program designed to present Morocco beyond the dining table.

Most activities will be free to enter, although the opening night, meals, and cooking workshops require paid admission or reservations.