I travel for the food. I LOVE FOOD. I really do. I get so much joy out of trying new foods when I travel. I love learning about new cultures and people through eating and cooking their food. The food of a city tells about the place in more ways than we realize. Each recipe has a story behind it, some even passed down for generations. All the ingredients are found and grown by the people and then created into something beautiful to represent their culture. I really feel like, “The best way to know a city is to eat it.” That’s why I call myself the City Nibbler.
One of the great cuisines of the world, Moroccan cooking abounds with subtle spices and intriguing flavour combinations. Influenced by Andalusian Spain, Arabia and France, Morocco’s cuisine is a delicious combination of mouthwatering flavors that make it unique.
Here are some of the best drinking and dining experiences to try during a visit to magnificent Morocco.
Drinks of Morocco
Let's start out with the drinks, something that you’ll become very acquainted with by the time you leave Morocco.
Moroccan Mint Tea
When you visit Morocco, be prepared to drink a lot of Moroccan mint tea. The Moroccans drink it all the time- breakfast, lunch, dinner, and many times in between. Whenever we arrived somewhere new, we were given tea. When we checked into our hotel, we were greeted with some tea. When we checked out of our hotel, we were given some tea. As we ate every meal, we were always offered tea. When we sat down to visit with people and look at their shops, they gave us tea.
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It was 4+ times a day that I found myself with a cup of Moroccan mint tea in my hand. And, I am not complaining about it! I think they drink it so much not only because it is so delicious, but because it is a safe way to hydrate with surety that the water is clean from it being boiled. You can’t drink the water in Morocco, so for thirsty tourists, this is the way to stay hydrated to avoid the food poisoning. I grew to love the tea when I was there.
They use fresh spearmint leaves and green tea powder to make this yummy drink. They always ask you if you want it sweetened or unsweetened, and of course I prefer it sweetened. Who doesn’t want a little sugar in their tea? And they always bring a bowl of sugar cubes if you need a little more sweetness. Jimmy took it upon himself to be the sugar cube distributer and inserter. For some reason he was so entertained when putting the sugar cubes into the cups. Sometimes he would sneak more in when we weren’t looking. We drank some pretty sweet tea at one point! But seriously, there is just something so delicious about hot fresh mint tea.
This refreshing drink, affectionately nicknamed Berber whiskey, is ubiquitous across Morocco. Combining steeped green tea with a handful of fresh nana mint leaves (spearmint) and sugar, you'll be offered some when you arrive at your riad or if you're invited as a guest into someone's home. Mint tea in Morocco is a symbol of tradition and friendship enjoyed in both everyday settings and during special occasions. Small tea shops are often found in the souqs, too.
The stainless steel teapots that they serve it in is so Moroccan, usually along side of little glass cups with a gold engraving along the edge. I love how they pour the tea from the teapot into the glasses. They make a big show of it, holding the teapot up high, away from the cup, so the stream of tea is very visible when it comes out and falls into the glass. It is a gorgeous tradition that is so Moroccan and I love it.
This thirst-quenching tea is served in a small, colourful glass.
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Where to try it: While mint tea can be found in abundance, stopping by the iconic Pâtisserie Driss in Essaouira is a great way to see a piece of history, as it opened in 1928.
Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
Everywhere that you go in Morocco, there are people selling freshly squeezed orange juice. Oranges grow very well there, so they are able to make large amounts of juice very easily and from fresh oranges. It’s funny how in America freshly squeezed orange juice is a luxury, with the cost being at a premium, maybe $7 a glass. But in Morocco, the freshly squeezed orange juice is almost the same price as bottled water, or even cheaper sometimes. We paid 50 cents a glass a lot of places! So cheap!
Nate and I drank so much orange juice both times visiting Morocco, it was nuts. It’s just so good, so cheap, so refreshing, that it is hard to pass up.
Don’t Drink the Water!
Beware of the water in Morocco. Don’t drink it! Be very careful and cautious of it or else you might end up sick for your whole trip. Besides not drinking it, make sure to brush your teeth with bottled water, wash your fruit with bottled water, and anything else that you use water for that might get into your body. Showering or washing your face with the water is fine, just don’t ingest it. Hydrate with bottled water only and even then, be extra cautious.
We had an experience where we bought bottled water at a local market. We guzzled both bottles because we were so thirsty in the 100+ degree weather. After we drank it, we noticed that one of the bottle’s lids had been very carefully cut out with a sharp razor and opened on the top, with the clean water discarded and regular water put in. We were horrified and hoped that we wouldn’t have to suffer any negative effects. We ended up lucking out that time, but just take extra caution and examine everything before you eat or drink it. You can’t trust people in Morocco, some, but not many.
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Food of Morocco
Morocco offers plenty of vegetarian and vegan choices.
Moroccan Breakfast Classics
Start the day with Moroccan breakfast classics.
Breakfast in Morocco is simple yet filling meal that often includes some form of bread or pastry and eggs. Breakfast in Morocco is delicious but very carb heavy. Maybe that’s why it is so delicious! You’ll always receive a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice as well as a choice of hot Moroccan mint tea or coffee.
Expect an assortment of different homemade bread items - spongy flat Moroccan pancakes called, “baghrir”, cornbread pucks called, “harcha,” little doughnuts, traditional brown bread, and my all time favorite breakfast menu item, “msemen” or “rghaif”- a flaky, chewy, and slightly crispy, Moroccan pancake or flatbread. They come most often just plain (perfect for spreading your favorite jam on) or stuffed with chilis and cheese for a more savory treat. Along with that hefty carb load comes an assortment of different condiments to eat with it like local honey, all kinds of jam, olive oil, butter, and goat cheese.
Don’t even get me started on the goat cheese. You haven't tried goat cheese until you’ve tried fresh Moroccan goat cheese. It is the best and something that the country is famous for. You’ll be eating your goat cheese on your bread and see some goats climbing a nearby hill, and it makes you realize just how fresh the goat cheese that you’re eating really is. There are a lot of goats in Morocco. These goats produce goat milk that is then turned into incredibly fresh goat cheese. Local food products really are the best.
Now that I’ve covered the important topic of goat cheese. . . let’s get back to the Moroccan breakfast. Often times you’ll get a bowl of olives on the side, which at first I thought was strange. Eating olives for breakfast? It eventually grew on me. (Probably from living in Spain where olives were everywhere!)
If you’re dining at a fancier hotel then expect some eggs of some kind, a bowl of fresh yogurt and granola, and some perfectly ripe fruit. Of course every restaurant, every hotel, and every city in Morocco will be slightly different in what they serve you for breakfast, but for the most part, it will be very similar if not exactly these types of menu items.
Beghrir is Morocco’s version of pancakes, a fluffy morning treat made from semolina and often topped with honey butter and the classic shakshuka follows the North African tradition of cooking poached eggs in a spicy tomato, pepper and onion sauce. Or, keep it simple with the go-to morning meal of a fried egg in olive oil paired with olive and cheese nibbles.
Where to try it: Head to Café Des Épices in Marrakesh for delightful morning eats and rooftop views of the medina. In Casablanca, La Sqala is popular for its quality service, food and atmosphere.
Moroccan Lunch and Dinner
Lunch and dinner are very similar meals in Morocco as far as what you will eat. A meal most likely comes with three courses.
Appetizers
The appetizer portion is really fun with a big spread of small little dishes to taste. They serve a bunch of different bean and vegetable salads, marinated and pickled veggies, olives, fried potato fritters, tabbouleh salad, and a soup called, Harira- a tomato based soup with lentils and meat. Jimmy shockingly loved the soup and survived on basically only this for the majority of our trip. Kids! And of course the appetizer round, as well as every meal, always comes with a basket of the traditional brown bread.
The variety of this appetizer round varies greatly, but the flavors and ingredients are all quite similar.
Try the mezze of salads, which come with fresh bread and may range from delicate cucumbers in orange-blossom water to substantial herbed beets laced with kaffir lime.
Authentic Zaalouk Recipe ! Easy & Delicious Moroccan Eggplant Salad ! Traditional Vegetarian Cooking
Main Dish
The main dish for lunch or dinner is always very similar no matter what restaurant you dine at. It is the quality of the food that changes from place to place, not the description of the menu items or the flavors. All Moroccan restaurants have practically the same things on the menu. The choices come with what type of meat that you want, usually chicken, beef, or kefta (seasoned ground meat) and if you want veggies with it or not.
The menu typically looks something like this:
- Tajine with Meat and Veggies
- Couscous with Meat and/or Veggies
- Pastillas Stuffed with Chicken or Veggies
If you lean towards eating vegetarian then you’ll appreciate the Moroccan cuisine. Every menu typically has several vegetarian dishes listed on it. That aspect of Moroccan food is something that I love. The choices come with what type of meat that you want, usually chicken, beef, or kefta (seasoned ground meat) and if you want veggies with it or not.
Vegetarians can sometimes, but not always, order a vegetable tajine or couscous with seven vegetables - call ahead if you can.
Midrange restaurant menus can often repeat the same old classics, so to get more variety you need to feast on street food or dine at one of the growing number of creative fusion restaurants. Home-cooked food is also some of the best in the country, so eating at your riad (guesthouse) can be another good option.
Tajine
The tajine is the most traditional way of cooking Moroccan food. The most common tajines are chicken with preserved lemons and green olives, lamb or beef with prunes, and kefta (spiced meatballs of ground lamb and/or beef) interspersed with eggs in a zesty tomato sauce.
Ras el hanout is a seasoning staple in North African cuisine that blends 12 spices, including cinnamon, cumin, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, white pepper, coriander, cayenne, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and salt. The spice blend is a key ingredient in this dish and many of the region’s tajines and other stews - and an underrated souvenir worth picking up in the souqs.
A tajine is a little clay pot with a lid on top, a traditional Moroccan handicraft that is made and sold in Morocco. We watched tajines being made in Tétouan, and it was quite the process from start to finish. It is cooked on the fire with the food enclosed, almost like a slow cooker, until the meat is falling off the bone and the veggies are perfectly tender. The food isn’t just cooked in a tajine but also served in a tajine.
Where to try it: Located in Fez, check out family home-turned-restaurant Dar Hatim features a special lamb tajine.
Couscous
The second traditional menu item, couscous with meat and/or veggies, is always a safe bet, but I find that it is often times lacking in flavor and needs salt. I sound so American.
Morocco’s national dish - also known as seksu - is traditionally served on Fridays; although some restaurants now dish it up every day of the week. The age-old process is time-consuming - durum wheat is ground into fine granules and then rolled by hand. Salted water and flour are added, after which it can take up to five hours to steam to light and fluffy perfection.
Couscous is served with an array of vegetables - seksu bedawi, hailing from Casablanca, includes cabbage, carrots, courgettes, onions, potatoes, pumpkin and squash - or a mix of meat or chicken and vegetables, all accompanied by a flavorsome broth that soaks into the couscous.
Where to try it: Enjoy couscous and other traditional Moroccan staples at Al Mounia in Casablanca.
Pastilla
My favorite of the three menu items, and the one that I tend to order the most are the pastillas. Pastillas are a savory pastry made from fillo dough that is stuffed either with chicken, dates and almonds, or an assortment of veggies. The chicken pastilla is often sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon on top, making it a great flavor combination of sweet and savory.
A Fassi specialty, though now found across the country, this savory-sweet pie is made up of wafer-thin warqa (filo-like pastry) traditionally stuffed with pigeon, chicken or vegetables as well as caramelized onions, lemon, eggs, and toasted sugared almonds - and then dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar.
Where to try it: Also offering bread-making classes, the Ruined Garden in Fez is a cafe/restaurant where advance booking is essential.
Other Moroccan Dishes
Occasionally there is a lemon chicken tajine dish on the menu changing up the flavor of the typical tajine dish. Often times for lunch or for more casual street food, you will find grilled meat and veggie skewers. It is still the same ingredients but just cooked differently. There's a lot more to Moroccan cuisine than couscous and tajines.
Here are some other dishes you should try:
- Bissara: This thick fava bean or broad bean soup is especially popular for breakfast, topped with a generous drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of cumin, and a freshly baked khobz (flatbread). It’s also often a filling, affordable option costing little more than a few dirhams. Where to try it: Bissara is one of only two menu items at Baissara Ansar, a small, budget-friendly spot in Chefchaouen.
- Mechoui: This traditional Moroccan dish consists of a whole lamb, marinated with spices and slow-roasted for hours in an underground oven until it falls off the bone and melts in the mouth. Perfect for groups in restaurants, although it’s possible to get a smaller portion from street stalls. Where to try it: For freshly carved mechoui, try Mechoui Alley in Marrakesh.
- Chermoula Fish: Chermoula is a tasty marinade made from a traditional blend of spices typically used on grilled fish and is often an integral part of religious celebrations and family gatherings. Loosely akin to a pesto sauce, chermoula’s unique combination of flavors stems from the fresh herbs, garlic, citrus and spices that come together in this dish. Where to try it: Head to Fish house Al Aachabe in Marrakesh (and prepare to possibly wait in line). In Essaouira, inside the hotel Riad Mimouna, Restaurant Mimouna couples savory Moroccan classics with the dreamiest seaside scenery.
- Maâkouda: This popular street food is often compared to fritters, cakes or croquettes. The deep-fried potato balls are prepared by combining mashed potatoes, flour and herbs, before rolling the mixture into a ball or fritter and frying it. Maâkouda is typically served as a starter or side dish, or as the filling in a sandwich alongside lettuce and tomato. It’s also a great affordable option if you're on a tight budget, but its price is no reflection of the abundant flavors that characterize the dish. Where to try it: Although maâkouda is available at many street stalls, for an indoor dining experience, Cafe Clock is a popular spot, with multiple locations in Fez, Marrakesh and Chefchaouen.
- Tanjia: This Marrakesh dish has been dubbed the bachelor’s dish, as it was originally cooked by single men who would put chunks of meat, onions, preserved lemon, garlic and cumin into a terracotta clay cooking pot and take it to the local communal oven or hammam to slow cook in the hot coals. Nowadays, it’s a dish that everyone should try in Morocco.Where to try it: One of the most popular restaurants with tourists visiting Marrakesh, Chez Lamine has earned its reputation for excellence in traditional Moroccan cuisine.
Moroccan Dining Etiquette
In many settings, meals are served at low, round tables with communal-style dishes designed for everyone to dig in. Moroccans typically eat with their right hand - skipping the silverware - as the left hand is traditionally reserved for cleaning purposes. Reaching across the table is also a no-go - only accept food that is passed to you. And for those with the gift of gab, you’ll be glad to know that eating in silence is rude, so chat away. This family-style experience makes dining in Morocco a treat that feels like communal and fun. After dinner, consider taking a stroll, a popular activity often enjoyed by locals and visitors keen on embracing this leisurely aspect of Moroccan culture.
A Year in Food
Morocco is the archetypal Slow Food destination, and there’s never a bad time to visit. Its myriad fruits and vegetables are often bound for Europe, but head to any medina market to find local, seasonal produce piled high on market stalls and wooden carts.
- Spring (March-May): It’s time for avocados, apricots and oranges, as well as strawberries. Delicious in fresh juices.
- Summer (June-August): Fruits, such as watermelon, tomatoes, peaches, figs, grapes and prickly pear have ripened, and mid-June brings the Cherry Festival in Sefrou.
- Fall (September-November): Fall sees grapes and pomegranates (mentioned in the Quran as being one of the fruits of paradise), along with the date harvest - it’s said that Morocco has more than 100 varieties.
- Winter (December-February): The cooler months bring clementines, onions, beetroots, carrots and potatoes, as well as omnipresent oranges.
Table: Top 10 Moroccan Foods to Try
| Food | Description |
|---|---|
| B’ssara | Rich soup of dried broad beans, traditionally served for breakfast. |
| Tagine | A clay cooking pot with a conical lid that gives its name to a myriad of dishes. |
| Fish chermoula | Combination of herbs and spices used as a marinade before grilling over coals, and as a dipping sauce. |
| Harira | Rich soup with tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas and lamb, often eaten during Ramadan. |
| Kefta tagine | Beef or lamb mince with garlic, fresh coriander and parsley, cinnamon and ground coriander is rolled into balls and cooked in a tomato and onion sauce. |
| Couscous | Fine wheat pasta traditionally rolled by hand and steamed over a stew of meat and vegetables. |
| Makouda | Little deep-fried potato balls, delicious dipped into spicy harissa sauce. |
| Zaalouk | Smoked aubergine dip, seasoned with garlic, paprika, cumin and a little chilli powder. |
| B’stilla | Layers of a paper-thin pastry coddle a blend of pigeon meat, almonds and eggs spiced with saffron, cinnamon and fresh coriander, the whole dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon. |
| Mint tea | Gunpowder tea is steeped with a few sprigs of spearmint stuffed into the teapot. It is poured into a tea glass from a height to create a froth called the crown. |
