Moroccan Food Guide: 25 Dishes You Must Try & Where to Find Them

Moroccan Food Guide: What to Eat and Where

Moroccan cuisine is one of the world great culinary traditions — a sophisticated blend of Berber, Arab, Andalusian, and sub-Saharan African influences, seasoned with a spice palette that has been refined over centuries. From slow-cooked tagines to paper-thin pastilla and the ritual of mint tea, eating in Morocco is an experience that reaches far beyond mere sustenance.

Tagine

The tagine — both the conical clay pot and the slow-cooked stew prepared in it — is the cornerstone of Moroccan home cooking. Heat from below circulates up through the conical lid, returning condensed moisture back to the ingredients and creating intensely flavoured, tender meat or vegetables. Classic combinations include lamb with prunes and almonds, chicken with preserved lemon and olives, and kefta (spiced meatballs) with egg in tomato sauce. Most restaurants in Morocco serve tagine; quality varies enormously. Seek out places where locals eat.

Couscous

Friday is couscous day in Morocco — the dish is traditionally served after Friday prayers and is central to family life. Hand-rolled semolina grains are steamed three times over a fragrant broth, then piled high with slow-cooked vegetables and meat. The best couscous you will eat in Morocco is in a family home; the next best is in a traditional restaurant that takes it seriously.

Pastilla (Bastilla)

Pastilla is Morocco most spectacular celebration dish: shredded pigeon or chicken with saffron, eggs, and almonds wrapped in paper-thin warqa pastry and baked golden, then dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar. The combination of savoury meat and sweet spiced topping sounds improbable but tastes extraordinary. Fes is regarded as the home of pastilla.

Harira

This thick, warming soup of tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, and herbs thickened with flour and eggs is Morocco national comfort food. It is eaten year-round but is especially important during Ramadan, when it breaks the daily fast alongside chebakia (sesame honey pastry) and dates. A bowl with bread costs next to nothing from a medina stall.

Street Food

• Msemen: layered, flaky flatbread cooked on a griddle — eat with argan oil and honey for breakfast
• Makouda: crispy fried potato fritters, often served in a bread roll with harissa
• Brochettes: spiced lamb or beef skewers, ubiquitous at evening markets
• Snails: babbouche — small snails served in broth from a street cart, particularly in Marrakech
• Sfenj: Morocco answer to the doughnut — deep-fried dough rings dusted with sugar

Mint Tea

Moroccan mint tea — atay — is not merely a drink but a social ritual. Gunpowder green tea is brewed with fresh spearmint and large amounts of sugar, then poured from a height to create froth. It is offered as a welcome in shops, riads, and homes throughout the country. Refusing it is considered rude; accepting it is the beginning of every good conversation.

Exploring Morocco food scene is best done by car, so you can visit markets, villages, and coastal fish restaurants that are off the main tourist circuit. See our guide on Essaouira for Atlantic seafood and argan oil specialties. To plan your wider trip, check our best time to visit Morocco guide. And search available cars at OunizzCars to travel between culinary destinations with ease.