Moroccan cuisine blends Amazigh, Arab, Andalusian and Jewish traditions, with spices, preserved lemons, olives, dried fruit and slow cooking. Here are fifteen dishes to try, and where to find them.
Main dishes
- Tagine: a slow-cooked stew named after its cone-shaped clay pot. Classics are chicken with preserved lemon and olives, lamb with prunes and almonds, and kefta (meatballs) with eggs.
- Couscous: steamed semolina with vegetables and meat, traditionally eaten by families on Friday after midday prayer.
- Pastilla: a flaky pie of chicken or pigeon with almonds, cinnamon and sugar; a seafood version is popular on the coast.
- Tanjia: the speciality of Marrakech, beef or lamb slow-cooked for hours in a clay urn in the embers of a hammam furnace.
- Mechoui: whole roast lamb, tender enough to pull apart by hand.
- Rfissa: shredded msemen with chicken, lentils and fenugreek, a festive dish.
- Grilled sardines and fish, best at the ports of Essaouira and Casablanca.
Soups and salads
- Harira: a tomato, lentil and chickpea soup, the traditional dish to break the fast during Ramadan.
- B’ssara: a thick fava bean soup with olive oil and cumin, a winter breakfast.
- Zaalouk and taktouka: cooked salads of aubergine or peppers and tomato, served with bread.
Breakfast and street food
- Msemen and baghrir: square flaky pancakes and spongy semolina pancakes, with honey and butter.
- Amlou: a spread of argan oil, almonds and honey from the south.
- Sfenj: Moroccan doughnuts, fried fresh in the morning.
- Snail soup in Jemaa el-Fna, for the adventurous.
Sweets and drinks
- Mint tea, green tea with fresh mint and sugar, poured from a height. Pastries such as chebakia (sesame and honey) and kaab el ghzal (almond “gazelle horns”) go with it.
Table manners
- Eat with your right hand, using bread to scoop.
- Eat from the part of the shared dish in front of you.
- Accept the tea: it is a sign of welcome.
- During Ramadan, avoid eating in public during the day.
Where to eat
- Food stalls in Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakech, in the evening.
- Small local restaurants in the medinas at lunchtime, where tagines are cheap and fresh.
- Riad dinners, often the best home cooking of the trip.
- The fish markets of Essaouira and Casablanca, where you choose your fish and have it grilled.
Want to cook it yourself? Many of our tours include a cooking class, for example the 10-day imperial cities and Essaouira tour. See also our 25 Morocco travel tips and the best things to do in Marrakech.
Frequently asked questions
What is the national dish of Morocco?
Couscous is often considered the national dish, with tagine a close second. Both are eaten across the country.
Is Moroccan food spicy?
It is spiced rather than hot: cumin, cinnamon, ginger, saffron and paprika. Chilli is usually served on the side as harissa.
Is Moroccan food good for vegetarians?
Yes. Vegetable tagines and couscous, zaalouk, taktouka, lentils and harira without meat are easy to find.
Is street food safe in Morocco?
Generally yes at busy stalls where food is cooked in front of you. Avoid salads washed in tap water if you have a sensitive stomach.
Hungry for Morocco? Ask us to add a cooking class to your private tour.