TREKKINGKASBAHSOUQHOTELHOTEL» » Only the flowers’ three trumpet-shaped stigmas are used; these are extracted and placed in the dark to dry.
» » During drying, the stigmas lose 80% of their weight; 1kg shrinks to 200g.
» » It takes 140 flowers to produce 1g of saffron.
» » High in vitamin B (especially B12) and pro-vitamin E, saffron has antiseptic, antispasmodic and antioxidant properties.
» » Saffron is used in cooking, medicine (it’s good for gums in particular), carpet-dying, calligraphy ink, soap and cosmetics.
» » Beware ‘counterfeit saffron’; the genuine article should stain your fingers yellow (rather than red), taste bitter (rather than
sweet) and carry a spicy price tag.Trekking
Taliouine is a popular trekking centre for nearby Jebel Siroua (Click here ), which offers
some of the finest walking in the Anti Atlas. The village is one of the best places in the region to
find trekking guides.
Kasbah
Gazing at the brown hills, the kasbah is mostly disintegrating, but it makes a pleasant sunset
stroll.
Souq
The village comes to life during the Monday souq, behind the kasbah.
Sleeping & Eating
Auberges le Safran and Souktana serve the best meals in the village (Dh75 to Dh100). At the
other end of the main drag near the bus station, grills smoke away and you can get a tuna
tajine (Dh50), made with saffron, at Auberge Siroua. Hotel Ibn Toumerte, the boxy 1970s
monstrosity next to the kasbah, has Taliounine’s only bar.
Auberge le Safran €
( 0528 53 40 46, 0668 39 42 23; www.auberge-safran.com, in French; r Dh150-220, ste
Dh300; ) The personable guide Mahfoud’s auberge has attractive, brightly painted en-suite
rooms, plus two basic options on the roof terrace and a spacious suite. The salon looks across
the fields at the kasbah, and downstairs is a Berber tent on the patio. They harvest their own
saffron, which they sell in the on-site shop-museum and use in the delicious meals. Mahfoud
offers activities including trekking, hammam visits, saffron-based cookery courses, and a
saffron and argan producers tour.
Auberge Souktana €
( 0528 53 40 75; [email protected]; room s/d/tr/q Dh180/220/300/360, bungalow s/d
Dh100/160, tent 1/2 people Dh50/80; ) The family-run Souktana is Taliouine’s unofficial
trekking centre and Jebel Siroua trailhead. Guests consult maps in the relaxing communal area,
and advice is available from the multilingual Franco-Moroccan hosts, whose son Hassan runs
Yallahtrek (Click here ). It’s east of the village, across the N10 from the kasbah with great
views of the crumbling fort. Reservations are essential in trekking season and half-board is
available.