Taroudant: the hot chip man

Taroudant is a wonderful walled town east of Agadir on the way to Ouarzazate in Morocco. If you're doing a road trip from Marrakesh to the Sahara make sure you stop overnight. There's a small bustling souq that rarely sees foreigners, and yet the stallholders have a relaxed demeanour. The best buy here is handmade leather sandals. But that's not what I want to tell you. On the main square is a man - a man with a mouthful of shiny white teeth who is exceedingly generous with his smiles. He cooks up fresh hot potato crisps in a wok-like deep-fryer. He's just as generous with his servings - and with the salt. It was chilly the evening we bought our chips from him, wrapped in paper. But I'm not sure what I remember most... the chips or his smile. Both warmed our souls.