Food & Drink
Moroccan Food: 15 Must-Try Dishes
Tajine, couscous, pastilla, msemen: Moroccan cuisine is one of the richest in the Arab world. Our guide.
## 1. The tajine
Morocco's emblematic dish. A conical clay dish (which gives its name to the dish) in which meat (chicken, lamb, beef) or fish is slowly cooked with vegetables (carrots, zucchini, potatoes, onions), spices (cumin, turmeric, ginger, saffron), dried fruits (apricots, prunes, almonds, olives) and fresh herbs (coriander, parsley). The secret: slow cooking on low heat that melts all the flavors.
To try: chicken tajine with olives and preserved lemon (the most classic), lamb tajine with prunes and almonds (the most festive), kefta tajine (meatballs in tomato sauce).
## 2. The couscous
The traditional Friday dish, day of prayer and family. Wheat semolina steamed, served with a vegetable stew (carrots, zucchini, turnips, chickpeas) and meat (chicken, lamb or beef). The real couscous is rolled by hand, which takes hours.
To try: seven-vegetable couscous (classic), Tfaya couscous (with raisins and caramelized onions).
## 3. The pastilla (or b'stilla)
The festive starter par excellence: a sweet-savory mix of shredded pigeon (or chicken), almonds, eggs, cinnamon and sugar, all wrapped in crispy warka pastry, sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Served cold, as a starter.
## 4. The harira
The traditional soup of Ramadan, but served all year round. Tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, onions, celery, coriander, spices, meat (lamb or beef), sometimes vermicelli. Served with dates and chebakia (small honey flowers) to break the fast.
## 5. The msemen
A Moroccan flaky pancake, made from flour and semolina, cooked in a pan. Often served at breakfast, with honey, butter, or in a sandwich filled with minced meat (khlea). Very filling.
## 6. The baghrir
The "thousand-hole pancakes", made from semolina. Traditional at breakfast, with honey and butter. Lighter than msemen.
## 7. The chebakia
A flower or spiral-shaped pastry, fried and dipped in flower honey. Served especially during Ramadan with harira. Crispy, sweet, addictive.
## 8. The mechoui
Whole roasted lamb, slowly cooked in an underground wood oven. Served with cumin and salt. In Essaouira and the South, it's an institution. Count 1-2h of cooking for 20-30 kg of lamb.
## 9. The tangia
Marrakech specialty: a lamb shank slowly cooked in a sealed clay jar, with spices (cumin, saffron, ginger, garlic) and olives. Cooked under the embers of a hammam for 4-6h. Melting, fragrant, generous.
## 10. The mint tea
The national drink. Green tea with mint and sage, very sweet, served in a glass. The preparation is an art: the tea is poured from high to oxygenate it and create the foam. Three times is the tradition ("the first glass is bitter as life, the second is sweet as love, the third is sweet as death").
## 11. The briouates
Small triangular turnovers in warka pastry, fried, filled with minced meat, cheese, or seafood. Served as a starter or aperitif.
## 12. The kefta
Minced meat balls (beef or lamb) spiced, grilled or in tomato sauce with eggs. Served with khobz bread. "Kefta in tomato" is one of the most popular dishes in family restaurants.
## 13. The zaalouk
Moroccan eggplant caviar: eggplants and tomatoes cooked with garlic, cumin, paprika, olive oil. Served as a starter, cold or warm, with bread. Vegetarian, vegan, delicious.
## 14. The tanjia
Marrakech specialty, like the tangia. Meat (often beef) marinated for hours with cumin, saffron, garlic, preserved lemon, then cooked in a clay jar in the embers of a bread oven (farran) for 6-8h. Served with bread and olives.
## 15. The gazelle horns (kaab el ghazal)
The star pastry: croissants of almond paste, scented with orange blossom water, dipped in a sugar syrup. Served at any time with tea. The best are from Fez.
## The tip
In restaurants, service is often included. Otherwise, 10% of the bill is enough. For street stalls, tipping is not expected.
## Where to eat
- Marrakech: Le Jardin, Nomad, Le Foundouk, Café Clock
- Fez: Café Clock, The Ruined Garden, Dar Roumana
- Essaouira: La Table by Madada, Umia
- Southern: Chez Mbark (Agdz), Chez Talout (Skoura)
Bon appétit!
Morocco's emblematic dish. A conical clay dish (which gives its name to the dish) in which meat (chicken, lamb, beef) or fish is slowly cooked with vegetables (carrots, zucchini, potatoes, onions), spices (cumin, turmeric, ginger, saffron), dried fruits (apricots, prunes, almonds, olives) and fresh herbs (coriander, parsley). The secret: slow cooking on low heat that melts all the flavors.
To try: chicken tajine with olives and preserved lemon (the most classic), lamb tajine with prunes and almonds (the most festive), kefta tajine (meatballs in tomato sauce).
## 2. The couscous
The traditional Friday dish, day of prayer and family. Wheat semolina steamed, served with a vegetable stew (carrots, zucchini, turnips, chickpeas) and meat (chicken, lamb or beef). The real couscous is rolled by hand, which takes hours.
To try: seven-vegetable couscous (classic), Tfaya couscous (with raisins and caramelized onions).
## 3. The pastilla (or b'stilla)
The festive starter par excellence: a sweet-savory mix of shredded pigeon (or chicken), almonds, eggs, cinnamon and sugar, all wrapped in crispy warka pastry, sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Served cold, as a starter.
## 4. The harira
The traditional soup of Ramadan, but served all year round. Tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, onions, celery, coriander, spices, meat (lamb or beef), sometimes vermicelli. Served with dates and chebakia (small honey flowers) to break the fast.
## 5. The msemen
A Moroccan flaky pancake, made from flour and semolina, cooked in a pan. Often served at breakfast, with honey, butter, or in a sandwich filled with minced meat (khlea). Very filling.
## 6. The baghrir
The "thousand-hole pancakes", made from semolina. Traditional at breakfast, with honey and butter. Lighter than msemen.
## 7. The chebakia
A flower or spiral-shaped pastry, fried and dipped in flower honey. Served especially during Ramadan with harira. Crispy, sweet, addictive.
## 8. The mechoui
Whole roasted lamb, slowly cooked in an underground wood oven. Served with cumin and salt. In Essaouira and the South, it's an institution. Count 1-2h of cooking for 20-30 kg of lamb.
## 9. The tangia
Marrakech specialty: a lamb shank slowly cooked in a sealed clay jar, with spices (cumin, saffron, ginger, garlic) and olives. Cooked under the embers of a hammam for 4-6h. Melting, fragrant, generous.
## 10. The mint tea
The national drink. Green tea with mint and sage, very sweet, served in a glass. The preparation is an art: the tea is poured from high to oxygenate it and create the foam. Three times is the tradition ("the first glass is bitter as life, the second is sweet as love, the third is sweet as death").
## 11. The briouates
Small triangular turnovers in warka pastry, fried, filled with minced meat, cheese, or seafood. Served as a starter or aperitif.
## 12. The kefta
Minced meat balls (beef or lamb) spiced, grilled or in tomato sauce with eggs. Served with khobz bread. "Kefta in tomato" is one of the most popular dishes in family restaurants.
## 13. The zaalouk
Moroccan eggplant caviar: eggplants and tomatoes cooked with garlic, cumin, paprika, olive oil. Served as a starter, cold or warm, with bread. Vegetarian, vegan, delicious.
## 14. The tanjia
Marrakech specialty, like the tangia. Meat (often beef) marinated for hours with cumin, saffron, garlic, preserved lemon, then cooked in a clay jar in the embers of a bread oven (farran) for 6-8h. Served with bread and olives.
## 15. The gazelle horns (kaab el ghazal)
The star pastry: croissants of almond paste, scented with orange blossom water, dipped in a sugar syrup. Served at any time with tea. The best are from Fez.
## The tip
In restaurants, service is often included. Otherwise, 10% of the bill is enough. For street stalls, tipping is not expected.
## Where to eat
- Marrakech: Le Jardin, Nomad, Le Foundouk, Café Clock
- Fez: Café Clock, The Ruined Garden, Dar Roumana
- Essaouira: La Table by Madada, Umia
- Southern: Chez Mbark (Agdz), Chez Talout (Skoura)
Bon appétit!