Moroccan food - 17 classic dishes you must try

Writer: Helena Bergström

Moroccan food! We list 17 Moroccan specialities and share our experiences of Moroccan food. In Morocco, you'll find tagine, couscous and lots of delicious spices. Join us and taste Morocco!

What to eat in Morocco? - a quick overview

Now it's time to delve into Moroccan cuisine! In Morocco, the food is spicy, colorful and full of flavors. Here are some typical examples of what you eat in Morocco:

• Potholes: Tagine with meat or vegetables
• Basic dishes: Couscous
• Small dishes: Salads and mixes like zaalouk
• Bread: Khobz
• Sweets and drinks: Coins and pastries

We have visited Morocco three times, and enjoys the bread, the scrambled eggs and the delicious spices.

Typical Moroccan food - 17 classic dishes

Here we list Moroccan dishes that are interesting to try, including appetizers, side dishes, sweets and drinks.

1. Moroccan bread

There are several different traditional breads in Morocco, such as khobz. Often bread is served with the meal, especially with the starters. Sometimes we have had bread served with oil, honey or nut cream to dip in. Very tasty!

2. argan oil

Morocco produces the fine argan oil, which is made from the argan fruit. The oil is used both for various beauty products and as cooking oil, and it is good to dip bread in the cooking oil.

Argan oil is a relatively expensive oil, which is due to the fact that it is produced by hand in a process that requires many man-hours for each decilitre of oil.

3. Salads and vegetable mixes

In addition to bread, it is common to be served various salads and vegetable stir-fries to start a Moroccan meal. These salads and mixes can be made with raw or cooked vegetables. Here are some examples:

• Zaalouk (aubergine scrambled eggs)
• Taktouka (tomato and roasted pepper stir-fry)
• Khizou m'chermel (carrot scramble made from boiled carrots)
• Moroccan tomato and cucumber salad
• Grilled pepper salad

4. Olives

If you go to a market in Morocco, you'll see olives just about everywhere, in different colours and sizes. Olives are often served as a starter or side dish at meals, or can be included in stews and tagine.

5. ras el hanout

Ras el hanout is a spice mixture traditionally composed of up to 30 ingredients. Each trader or family has its own variation. Common ingredients are cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and paprika.

6. pancakes

Pancakes are popular in Morocco, not least on the breakfast table. Pancakes can be served with oil, honey or jam and are very tasty.

• Baghrir - a round, thin and fluffy pancake
• M'smmen - may be more square in shape

7. couscous

This dish can be described as the national dish of Morocco, and each region has its own speciality. Recipes are based on couscous, which is cooked with oil and spices. Couscous dishes can also include vegetables, root vegetables, chickpeas, chicken and fish.

8. Harira

Moroccan cuisine also includes soup, such as the popular soup harira. This soup is made from tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, onions, rice and meat such as beef, lamb or chicken.

9. Tagine

Another type of Moroccan food you won't want to miss is tagine. It is actually the vessel that gives name to the dish and the ingredients can vary.

Tagine is simply a ceramic or stoneware pot or casserole, with a cone-shaped lid. It is often made with lamb, poultry, fish or chickpeas, along with root vegetables, vegetables, eggs, lemon or dried fruit.

10. lamb

When it comes to meat, you can expect beef, chicken and lamb in particular. Lamb is very popular and can be prepared in many different ways, such as slow-cooked, in a stew or in a tagine. Often the meat is tender and delicious!

11. Kefta

Moroccan meatballs, which can be made with beef or lamb, and can be flavoured with garlic and cumin, for example. They can be eaten with various accompaniments, or in a ”kefta tagine”, a Moroccan dish of meatballs in tomato sauce with eggs.

12. merguez

A small sausage made from beef and lamb, usually flavoured with cumin and harissa. It originated in North Africa and is eaten in Morocco and elsewhere.

13. grilled fish

Morocco has a long coastline, and fishing has a long tradition. In other words, it is common for seafood to be served in restaurants, often in the form of grilled fish.

14. Pastille

A type of pie that is often filled with chicken or pigeon, or seafood. It also contains almonds, nuts and dried fruit.

15. dates

Dates are a common element in Moroccan cuisine. You'll find them in abundance in the markets and you can eat them as a snack, just as they are. It is also common to include dates in various dishes.

16. oranges

Oranges are an important commodity in Morocco, and during our travels we have often been served oranges as dessert. The orange is often served sliced and spiced with cinnamon, always very tasty!

17. coin rate

A speciality of Morocco is Moroccan mint tea, which is made from green tea and mint, mixed with lots of sugar. The pouring is at least as important as the flavour. A teapot with a long, narrow spout is used and poured, from above, into small drinking glasses.

Moroccan food in a restaurant

In restaurants in Morocco you will often find traditional food, especially in the form of couscous and tagine. In cities and tourist areas, you can of course find international food too. Buffets are common in hotels.

More about food in other countries

Here you can find more stories about food in different countries:

• Greek food - 25 Greek dishes
• Egyptian food - 25 Egyptian dishes
• Turkish food - 2o Turkish delicacies
• Tunisian cuisine - 16 Tunisian dishes
• South African food - 20 South African specialities