Moroccan Food Guide: What to Eat and Drink in Morocco
Morocco is widely celebrated for its stunning palaces, ancient mosques, riads, and mesmerising medinas. But knowing what to eat and drink in Morocco can make a holiday in this scenic North African country a lot more special, especially for avid foodies hoping to try new things. Moroccan cuisine is among the most delicious, intriguing, and unique worldwide, featuring an eclectic mix of Arab, Berber, and Jewish influences.
Additionally, food and drink prices in Morocco are reasonable pretty much all year-round, making it easy for budget travellers to gorge on the most delectable traditional Morocco foods. If you’re wondering what to drink in the morning, note that locals in Morocco love tea, more specifically, mint tea, which is an excellent way to begin the day.
Inevitably, sampling the best foods from Morocco can heighten the pleasure of your holiday, ensuring you leave with countless memories and recipes to try back home.
Top Dishes and Drinks to Try in Morocco
Learning what to eat in Morocco is the first step to having a blast on your gastronomical adventure in this panoramic region. You can try everything from the most popular traditional Morocco foods featuring a special blend of local spices such as cumin, cayenne, turmeric, paprika, and coriander, to modern culinary creations with global influences. Here’s a good place to start:
9 Moroccan Foods You Must Try
1. Tagine
If you're wondering what to eat in Morocco that's very famous, tagine is your best
bet. Arguably the most popular food in Morocco, this is a super-delicious dish that gets
its name from the earthenware used to cook it - a clay pot with a lid. Typically
featuring slow-cooked meat, tagines also include an assortment of fresh vegetables and
fruits. The dish is so common that you will find it in high-end Morocco restaurants,
street food outlets, and every other household.
2. Harira Soup
A Ramadan specialty in, Harira Soup is also among the best foods to try in Morocco.
Traditionally, the locals enjoy a bowl of this lip-smacking soup to break their fast
during the holy month of Ramadan. The flavour-packed savoury dish incorporates lamb,
lentils, tomatoes, noodles, chickpeas, lemon juice, and chopped coriander, among other
things. It is generally served alongside chebakkiya, a sweet-sticky tasty pretzel,
another of the best foods from Morocco to try on cheap holidays to the region.
3. Couscous
Did you know that Couscous is the national dish of Morocco? Undoubtedly one of the
best foods to eat in Morocco, Couscous is traditionally made by steaming wheat pasta
with seasonal produce and stewed meat. To make this remarkable and one of the best foods
from Morocco more appealing, it is served in a pyramid, wherein the pasta is layered
first by meat and then the vegetables. The sauce is usually served on the side.
4. B’ssara
B’ssara (or Bissara) is among the most popular traditional Morocco foods to try on
your holiday. It is a rich, creamy soup made of dried fava beans and heavily featuring
Moroccan spices, olive oil, and garlic. Before serving this delectable and famous food
from Morocco, the chefs will add a generous sprinkling of cumin to spike its flavour and
punch. The piping hot soup is served with baked bread fresh out of the oven.
5. Zaalouk
If you're assuming Zaalouk to be a popular meat dish as an answer to the what to eat
and drink in Morocco query, you'd be wrong! Delicious indeed, Zaalouk is actually a
tasty dip made from smoked eggplant-puree. Served alongside the most popular food in
Morocco, whether meat or vegetarian, this mouthwatering dip is seasoned heavily with
cumin, paprika, chilli powder, and garlic, among other potent ingredients.
6. Gueddid
Gueddid is undoubtedly one of the best foods to try in Morocco. It involved a meat
preservation method wherein beef or lamb is dried in the sun for a couple of days, or
may also be burned over charcoal. The dried meat is cut into small pieces, sprinkled
with spices, salt, and other ingredients, and stored in an air-tight container for at
least 48 hours. Any dish prepared using this is inarguably the most famous food from
Morocco.
7. Fish Chermoula
The best way to take advantage of the affordable food and drink prices in Morocco is
to try some of the fabulous seafood served here. You can pick from a wide array of fish
items, particularly the ones using Chermoula, a unique marinade featuring an assortment
of spice and herbs. The seafood is marinated in this delectable mixture for a period of
time before being grilled over coals. Chermoula is also widely served as a dip.
8. B’stilla
B’stilla, otherwise known as Pastilla, is inarguably the most popular of traditional
Morocco foods. A sweet-savoury paper-thin layered pastry, it contains a mixture of
chicken meat, eggs, and almonds, spiced with cinnamon, saffron, and fresh coriander. It
has always been the most popular food in Morocco, and was made using pigeon meat in
former times. The icing sugar dusting on top of the finished dish adds an element of
elegance to it.
9. Tanjia
Another of the best foods to try in Morocco, Tanjia also derives its name from the
earthenware it's cooked in, like tagine. The stunning dish is a classic Marrakech
creation, featuring huge cuts of lamb or beef that have been seasoned and spiced before
being placed into the tanjia. Amazingly, the tanjia is then taken to a local hammam,
where it is stoked in the embers and left for the meat to slowly cook away. One of the
best foods to eat in Morocco, it is traditionally made by men for men.
What to Drink in Morocco
Learning what to eat and drink in Morocco is more important when you’re on a family holiday, as it can help you find dishes that suit your kids’ palates. Having covered the food options, here’s a quick outline of what you should drink in Morocco:
● Mint Tea
What is Morocco's national drink? Mint tea, of course! What to drink in the morning
in Morocco? Again, mint tea is the resounding answer! Popularly called Moroccan whisky,
this delectable gunpowder tea is heavy in sugar content and is typically steeped with a
few spearmint sprigs in the pot. The tea is poured from a considerable height, usually
for the froth that forms in the tea glass because of the distance. Drinking mint tea
with someone is tradition and a sign of hospitality in Morocco.
● Fruit Juices
Freshly squeezed orange juice in a super-popular drink in Morocco, found practically
everywhere in the country. In fact, Morocco is among the leading exporters of Nadorcott
mandarin and clementine, which explains why juice is so good here! You can try other
fruit juices as well, besides soda and other non-alcoholic beverages in popular places
like the Jemaa-El-Fna Square in Marrakech.
● Wine
Although an Islamic nation, Morocco is by no means a dry region. However, it is
frowned upon to drink in public, particularly in the vicinity of mosques and other holy
places. Upscale places in Casablanca and Marrakech are good places to try the local
wine. The light Clairet de Meknès is a good wine to try, pairing well with most
traditional Morocco foods. Other popular options include the Guerrouane, Ksar, and
Cabernet in red, and the Spécial Coquillages in dry white.
● Beer and other liqueur
The affordable food and drink prices in Morocco have made it easy to sample popular
local beer. Flag from Fes is generally regarded as the most superior of all Moroccan
beers. Stork and Casablanca are the two other local beer brands to try. You may also be
able to order Heineken and a couple of other international brands in Morocco, should you
prefer these over the local makes.
Places to Eat and Drink in Morocco
Whether you’re on a family trip or an adults only holiday, simply knowing what to eat and drink in Morocco is not enough. You must also learn which Moroccan restaurants serve the best food for a memorable gastronomic adventure.
● Nomad, Marrakech
Nomad is one of the best Marrakech restaurants to visit, serving authentic traditional Morocco foods, with a wide selection of vegan and vegetarian options. Its rooftop bar is a major attraction, offering diners magnificent city views as they dine on local and international specialties.
Location: Rahba Kedima Spice Square, Medina, Marrakech
● Le Jardin du Villa Maroc, Essaouira
Located a mere 10 kilometres from the Essaouira city centre, the restaurant at Le Jardin du Villa Maroc guesthouse is an absolute must-visit when in the region. Imbibing a unique mix of traditional Moroccan cuisine with an international twist, it serves the best foods to try in Morocco. You’ll never have to wonder what to eat in Morocco again!
Location: Route Essaouira km 12, Essaouira
● Le Limonadier, Rabat
Le Limonadier is the ideal mix of contemporary and tradition, offering a mix of these elements in both food and décor. Visit with your family or enjoy a romantic dinner with your partner as you try the best foods from Morocco right here! However, note that this small, stylish place primarily serves French cuisine. Other restaurant highlights include karaoke and live music amid a sea of cocktail choices.
Location: 16 Rue Jabal Oukaïmeden, Rabat
● The Ruined Garden, Fes
Don't be fooled by the name! This popular restaurant in Fes is where you will find any of the most famous food from Morocco, served in a cosy garden and terrace setting. A casual, al fresco set up, it gets its name owing to its location amid the ruins of a riad. Invariably, expect to encounter lush greenery and crumbling fountains and mosaic floors, all contributing to the restaurant's archaic, albeit authentic Moroccan, vibe.
Location: 15 Derb Idrissy Sidi Ahmed Chaoui Medina 30110، Siaj, Fes
To Sum Up
Now you know what to eat and drink, and in which restaurants in Morocco on your all inclusive holidays. The fantastic thing is, you can enjoy these delicacies on all kinds of holidays to Morocco, whether solo journeys, couples’ break, or a family adventure. There are dishes in Morocco to suit all types of tastes and preferences.
So, plan a trip and create an itinerary that revolves around the most suitable of the above-listed options for you. Have a go at the best foods to try in Morocco, down the most popular drinks, and experience the local cuisine like you wouldn’t imagine!
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