Kenza Samih

Kenza Samih, a large statuesque woman in her early 40s, has such pale skin that it seems almost starved of sunlight. That may not be far from the truth as she has been tucked away in kitchens while working as a professional cook for most of her adult life. Watch her wending her way through the crowds of the shadowy souks of Fez El-Bali and she stands out a mile in her long black djellaba, black headscarf, fine-rimmed glasses and big smile, and even more so when accompanied by her pretty teenage daughter, Fatima. Kenza is the brain and hands behind the succulent dishes that emerge from the kitchens of Riad Fes, one of the city’s top hotel-restaurants. After working here for over six years, she is now such a fixture that the employees call her Meh Kenza - ‘Mother Kenza’.