Snail Soup (Babouch)

بوبوش

“Djemaa el-Fna's bravest bowl — 15 spices, a toothpick, and your courage.”

Prep Overnight purge + 30 min · Cook 1h 30min · Serves 4 · Difficulty Medium · Origin: Marrakech, Morocco

Babouch (snail soup) is one of Djemaa el-Fna's most iconic street foods — dozens of snails simmered for hours in a complex broth of 15 spices including thyme, aniseed, liquorice root, orange peel, and penny royal mint. The broth itself is extraordinary — medicinal, herbal, slightly bitter, deeply warming. Snails are picked from the bowl with a toothpick. The experience of eating it standing at a stall in the square at night, surrounded by smoke and storytellers, is irreplaceable.

Ingredients · Serves 4

• live or cleaned snails500 g
• liquorice root2 sticks
• dried thyme2 tbsp
• dried penny royal mint1 tbsp
• dried aniseed1 tsp
• ground ginger1 tsp
• dried chilli1
• dried orange peel1 piece
• ground caraway1 tsp
• ground cumin1 tsp
• ground coriander1 tsp
• ground pepper½ tsp
• ground turmeric½ tsp
• saltto taste

The Recipe

1. 1.If using live snails, purge for 24–48 hours in a container with cornmeal and herbs. Rinse thoroughly.
2. 2.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add all spices and aromatics. Simmer for 20 minutes to make the spice broth.
3. 3.Add the snails. Simmer on medium-low for 1 hour until tender.
4. 4.Taste the broth and adjust seasoning — it should be herbal, slightly bitter, complex.
5. 5.Serve in bowls with the snails in the broth and toothpicks alongside. Drink the broth from the bowl.

Chef's Tips

• The purging step is essential if using live snails — it removes any bitterness from their digestive system.
• The broth is as important as the snails — don't discard it. It is considered medicinal and warming.
• In Marrakech, vendors have their own secret spice blends for babouch — no two are identical.