Moroccan cuisine is one of the richest in the Mediterranean. It blends Berber, Arab, Andalusian and Jewish heritage, and is known for its finely balanced spices, its pairing of sweet and savoury, and the time it takes: here, a good dish simmers slowly.
What should you eat in Morocco? Here are the dishes and specialities our teams recommend trying at least once, and the places to do it, from street stall to palace.
The tagine, king of the table
Tagine is both the earthenware dish with its conical lid and what simmers gently inside it. The great classics: chicken with preserved lemons and olives, lamb with prunes and almonds, kefta with eggs, and fish with chermoula on the coast. Every region has its variations, and every family its own recipe.
Friday couscous
Added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2020 as know-how shared by the countries of the Maghreb, couscous is traditionally the Friday lunch dish, shared with family after prayers. The semolina, hand-rolled and steamed, is served with seven vegetables, with meat or, in its festive version, with caramelised onions and raisins, known as tfaya.
Pastilla, between sweet and savoury
Inherited from Andalusian cuisine, pastilla is a pie made of paper-thin pastry, warqa, filled with pigeon or chicken, almonds and fragrant onions, then dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon. Fes has made it its speciality. On the coast it is also made with seafood, without sugar.
Soups and small dishes
- Harira: a soup of tomatoes, lentils and chickpeas, served to break the Ramadan fast and all year round in small eateries.
- Bissara: a broad bean purée with olive oil and cumin, the breakfast of chilly mornings.
- Zaalouk and taktouka: cooked salads of aubergine or peppers with tomatoes, served as starters with bread.
- Briouats: small triangular pastries filled with meat, cheese or prawns.
- Rfissa: chicken with lentils and fenugreek on shredded flatbread, a dish for celebrations and births.
Mechoui and tanjia, slow cooking
Mechoui, a whole lamb slowly roasted, is the dish for great occasions; in Atlas villages it is still cooked in an oven dug into the ground. In Marrakech, tanjia is the men’s speciality: meat, preserved lemon, cumin and saffron in a clay jar entrusted to the keeper of the hammam furnace, where it cooks for hours in the embers.
Where to taste Moroccan cuisine
- On the street: the food stalls of Jemaa el-Fna square at nightfall, for snails in broth, skewers and harira.
- In riads and guesthouses: home cooking, often the best, to be booked in the morning.
- In palaces and fine restaurants: dinners in former medina mansions, to the sound of Andalusian or Gnawa music.
- In a cooking class: the market in the morning with a chef, preparing the tagine, then lunch together.
A few table customs
- Hands are washed before the meal, often with a ewer brought to the table.
- From a shared dish, you eat the portion in front of you, with your right hand and a piece of bread.
- Mint tea rounds off the meal, and it is not refused without good reason.
- Many tourist restaurants serve alcohol, but not all: check in advance.
Your questions
What is Morocco’s most typical dish?
Couscous and tagine compete for the title: couscous is the Friday dish, tagine the everyday one. Pastilla is the great speciality of festive meals.
Is Moroccan food spicy?
It is fragrant rather than hot: cumin, ginger, saffron, cinnamon and coriander dominate. Harissa and chillies are served on the side for those who want them.
Can you eat vegetarian in Morocco?
Yes: seven-vegetable couscous, vegetable tagines, zaalouk, bissara and cooked salads are easy to find. Mention it when booking, as some broths contain meat.
Where can you eat the best tagine in Morocco?
Often in a guesthouse or a small family restaurant, where it has been simmering since morning. Ask for the house speciality: every cook has her own recipe.
Do you need to book to dine in a medina palace?
Yes, especially in high season and for a group: the finest places are often full, and some serve by reservation only.
Planning a trip to Morocco?
Agencies, tour operators, companies: our teams in Casablanca and Marrakech put together your tailor-made stay or tour in Morocco.
