Morocco is a great country to travel to. When you travel to Morocco for a vacation or business work, you will meet Morocco food as a great treat. Morocco food is always on the top of the lists of the world’s best food cuisines. Therefore, you will not be frustrated by having that food at all. So, here’s the ultimate food guide about Morocco food.
Morocco Food
Facts about Morocco food
Morocco considers as a mysterious land filled with culture and diversified life. Morocco food plays a major role in this land as it has unique flavors.
Generally, in Morocco, dining tables, Green tea, and mint tea are trendy beverages. In the case of Moroccan culinary, it adds more diversified and unique flavors to the food.
When you hear the name of Morocco food, the couscous will come to your mind first since it is a very famous dish in Morocco. And also, Moroccan people use Tajine or Tagine’s special dish for cooking most of the dishes. But the fact is that both of these items (couscous and tagine) were introduced to Morocco by a North African ethnic group called Berbers.
All the Moroccans consider bread as their staple food, and also they believe everyone should eat food from the right hand. And they also believe that Moroccan food is meant to be enjoyed with friends and family. (Morocco food)
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Summary of major facts about Morocco food
The spices: The rule of Mexican cuisine uses more flavorful culinary for every food, including desserts. You may think it is too much. But, it is not. The flavors are at an optimum level since people in Morocco do not like to have more hot and spicy food. (Morocco food)Â
Influence on cultural diversity: As I mentioned earlier, Moroccan cuisine was influenced by many cultures. Due to that, it produces diversified flavored food. For example, Arabs have bought unique spices, nuts, and different fruits. And the most popular food, couscous, and tagine were introduced by the Berbers. The Ottoman Empire introduced the barbecue.
And the citrus, olives, and olive juice was bought by the Moors. Even French people were not staying for a long time in Morocco; they have bought their pastries and cafes. So, now you may understand that Moroccan food is a combination of many cultures and offers you a diversified food experience.
The Bread: Moroccan people consider bread as a sacred food. They name it “Khubz” and serve it at every meal. They really treat bread as a goddess. The reason to tell it like that is, they never let bread fall on to the floor. And also they never throw away bread. So, I think now you can understand how important bread is in Morocco. (Morocco food)
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Family Culture: Moroccan mealtime is a family gathering time. Not like most of the western countries, Morocco has very close family bonds. So, the mealtime makes the loved ones closer.
What is the most popular food in Morocco?
Couscous is the most popular food in Morocco. I have already mentioned this Moroccan main dish previously as well. They prepare couscous weekly in their houses. Here, the recipe includes stewed beef, lamb, or chicken and various vegetables (authentic recipe adds exactly 7 vegetables) and steamed couscous grains. And by adding the unique Moroccan cuisine flavors, the dish becomes more authentic and delicious.
(Couscous grains are like rice in appearance, and it is North African staple grain)
Is Morocco food spicy?
If you have had Mexican food, you may know that they are mostly spicy due to their culinary flavors and culture. But, we all know that most people in the world do not like to eat more spicy food. So, let’s figure it out, whether Morocco food is spicy or not.
The answer “yes” or “no” highly depends on the way you define the term “spicy.” If we define it as containing more spices, then yes. It contains a variety of spices. But, authentic Moroccan food is not hot and spicier. Compared with Mexican food and Arabic foods like Tunisian food, Moroccan food is not hot spicy. Therefore, you should not fear at all.
Even the residents are not into more hot and spicy flavors since they know that it not healthy. But, in the southern regions of Morocco, mostly eat spicier foods. Yet, you are given a chance to select whether you like spicier or not. So, I recommend you not to ask for spicier versions when you order food in Morocco. Especially when you are in the southern regions near Sahara. (Morocco food)
The Spices in Morocco Food
These are the 10 essential spices which include in Moroccan cuisines.
Cumin, Saffron, Cardamom, Turmeric, Ground ginger, Paprika, Hot red peppers, Cinnamon, and Black or White pepper.
And followings are the backbone ingredients of Moroccan food used to prepare the most iconic dishes.
Couscous grains, Garlic, Parsley, Olives, Lemons, Meats (Especially chicken and lamb), Cilantro, Sesame seeds, Almonds, Onions, Orange flower water, Honey, Harissa (chili pepper paste) and dried fruits like apricots, raisins, dates, figs, etc.
What does Morocco eat?
Here, I’m going to mention to you first about the main dishes in Morocco. Normally, these foods are made to eat with the whole family. Here’s the list of main dishes. (Morocco food)
Moroccan Food Tagine
Tagine is the most iconic dish of all the others. It exists almost everywhere in the country. This is the most common dish you may have to eat when you are on tour in Morocco. Tagine is delicious food to have. But, not always.
It contains slow-cooked meat stew (mostly chicken or lamb), several vegetables, nuts, and spices to add unique flavors and dried fruits. And Moroccan Tagine is more different from tagines in other nearby countries. (Morocco food)
Morocco Food: Couscous
The most popular and the national dish in Morocco. (explained above). Since Morocco is an Islamic country, there are more Islamic traditions and cultural things. They traditionally eat couscous, mostly on Fridays (Muslim holy days). The meaning of “couscous” in Arabic is rubbing between palms. Actually, it is the way of preparing the food.
Morocco Food: Mechoui
Although this is the main dish, this one is not as common as a Tagine. Slow-roasted lamb makes Mechoui (which is cooked on a coal fire pit) added with unique culinary flavors. And you can get this mostly from street stalls in Medina, Marrakech. And also some restaurants offer it as well. So, when you see Mechoui on the menu, do not miss it. Just order that tender and soft dish. (Morocco food)
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Camel Burger
When you hear the name “Camel Burger,” you may think of a burger bun with camel meat. No, it is wrong. This is all about camel meat added Moroccan culinary magic like cumin, coriander, harissa. The restaurants serve this meat dish along with a semolina roll and some pepper. Trust me; it has just an awesome taste.
Camel meat is very common, and you can have it, especially in the areas of Fes and Meknes. But in Marrakech or Casablanca, you won’t find camel meat. (Morocco food)
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Morocco Food: Kefta
Kefta is the name for meatballs in Morocco. Moroccan meatballs are called “Kefta.” And this is made with minced beef or lamb. Then, they are grilled or pan-fried. Before that, these ground meat is seasoned with cumin, paprika, parsley, coriander, herbs, and onions like culinary ingredients.
You may also find Kefta is some other dishes as well. Like: Meatballs tagine with poached eggs. It calls Kefta Mkaouara. And you can also add sauce and eat with pasta or Moroccan bread. Kefta is very tasty food, and I think Moroccans have given a fabulous meaning for just ground meat by preparing Kefta.
B’stilla or Pastilla
Moroccan Chicken Bastilla is a famous pie. But, traditionally, they use pigeons over chicken to make this pie. Here, the chicken or pigeon is cooked with ginger, saffron, pepper, cinnamon, and some other culinary. And also, it is layered within crispy warqa pastry combined with an herb omelet. On the other hand, it fries with orange flower water (almond scented) to get an amazing fusion of flavors and textures.
Pigeon pie is a must-eat dish in all the Moroccan special festivals, events, and weddings. (Morocco food)
Morocco Food: Berber Pizza
Berber Pizza is not like a typical pizza. Its pizza bread is thinner and filled with seasoning things like paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, ginger, and turmeric. If you want, you can order the meat versions like ground beef, lamb, and chicken. Or you can order just pizzas that contain chili pepper.
Berber Omelets
Berber omelets are also called Miticha o Lbid in Arabic. This special omelet contains seasoned eggs with Moroccan culinary, tomato, and onions. You can enjoy these amazing omelets with warm Moroccan bread.
Moroccan food starters
When you travel around Morocco for hunting Morocco food, you may frequently find a lot of vegetables. Actually, vegetables play a major role in the popular Moroccan dishes like tagine, couscous, soups, and salads. And also, you may find more meats like chicken, lamb, and beef in major dishes.
Here are the starters in Moroccan foods.
Moroccan Bread or Khobz
As I mentioned earlier, bread is considered a very sacred thing in Morocco. Normally, there’s a community oven in every village in the country. And each family uses these community ovens twice a day to bake bread.
The Moroccan bread or Khobz is made with wheat flour, water, salt, yeast, and semolina. Normally semolina is sprayed onto the bread surface and gives a nice look and texture. And if you plan to visit Morocco, then expect to have Khobz for every meal. (Morocco food)
Chicken with preserved lemon and olives
This chicken dish is one of the most popular dishes in Morocco. From family events to celebratory banquets, you may find this wonderful dish. Lemon and olives are major ingredients in Moroccan cuisines and add a sour and sweet flavor to this chicken dish with an appetite.
Moroccan mixed salad
There’s a tradition in Morocco to serve a variety of salads before the main meal. Since there’s no tradition of offering any appetizer in Morocco, they usually offer colorful salads containing beetroots and carrots like vegetables.
Normally in a mixed salad, they include cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, some other chopped vegetables, mint leaves, and lettuce. Sometimes, in some restaurants, they mention “Mixed Salad” in the menu and add all the unmatching things in it like rice, eggs, and potatoes even in a raw form. So, just ask for the content before ordering.
There are some other salad types as well. For example, a salad like Tk’touka is made with roasted tomatoes and pepper seasoned with cumin, lemon, and coriander. Normally the roasting process of pepper and tomatoes is doing in a wooden oven.
Another salad serves by the Moroccan restaurants is Zaalouk. Here, they roast eggplant and add seasoning things (ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, chili, olive oil, and black pepper) into it. This one is my favorite out of all the salads. (Morocco food)
Moroccan breakfast
My opinion is, it is useless to have a typical international breakfast when you are in a foreign country. So, always try new foods when you are in a strange land. Here’s Morocco food special for breakfast.
Harcha comes first as I love it. It is not a frequent food which you can see in every food stall and restaurants. But, in medinas, you may find this for sure. Harcha is made with semolina, and it is very tasty for me.
Another famous Moroccan breakfast item is M’smen. It is like a Malaysian rot, which is layered with bread and added butter between those layers. M’smen normally serves with honey, olive oil, and jam.
On the other hand, Amlou is also a breakfast meal which is always served with bread. It contains a paste of olive oil, peanuts, almonds, argan oils, and stuff.
Sfenj is also a breakfast item that makes as a donut-shaped fried dough. It also considers as an afternoon snack as well. (Morocco food)
Moroccan Soups
Here are some popular starter soups that serve in Morocco.
Harira soup is made by using chickpea, lentils, and tomatoes. And this is one of the most common foods in Morocco. Some improved versions of this soup will use different types of meat, noodles, broken rice, and vegetables.
Bissara is also another special soup type in Morocco. It mostly contains broad beans, garlic with a topping of olive oil and cumin. This soup can even have breakfast as well.
On the other hand, Moroccan white bean stew (loubia) and Moroccan lentils are also common soups.
Moroccan food vegetarian
Vegan Moroccan Chickpea Stew is a very popular vegan dish. And also, couscous salad with spring vegetables, Pasta with Moroccan lentil stew and spring greens, Vegan Tagine, chickpea burger, Vegan Berber pizza are the other famous Moroccan food (vegetarian).
Casablanca, Morocco Food
Casablanca is the largest commercial hub and port city in Morocco. Specifically, there aren’t any food dishes there. But all the authentic and modern Morocco foods are available in Casablanca. (All the above-mentioned food items are available there. Check for recipes.
More information about Morocco
Morocco People
Every inch of the Moroccan land shows the rich culture and the diversity of the country. Many nations influenced the culture of this country. Libyans and Ethiopians (also called Berbers), who lived as tribes, were hugely influenced by the country’s culture.
On the other hand, Arabs, Byzantines, Spaniards, Romans, Phoenicians, Europeans, Portuguese, Turks, and even French have influenced the country’s cultural development.
The population of Morocco is now around 35 million. The lifestyle of the people differs from region to region. But yet, it is mostly Islamic based. So there are more similar routines as well. For example, you cannot find any open shop in Morocco at lunchtime on Fridays.
Moroccan people are such warm-hearted and welcoming people. If you treat and speak them well, they will surely treat back you very positively. Do not rude to them.
Is Morocco Safe?
If I speak honestly, Morocco is a safe place to visit by any traveler. Although there is a low rate of crimes like pickpocketing and scams, they can be easily avoided. I recommend this place even for a solo female traveler. Do not forget the common safety tips and watch out carefully when you are in a foreign land. Consider the following common things.
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Since Morocco is a conservative Islamic country, try to dress covered and properly.
Do not walk alone at night and avoid flashy jewelry whenever you tour on roads.
Do not carry your valuable items with you when you tour around except essentials.
Watch out for scams. Never try to help the people who ask for small help on the road. Like: Asking you to write a letter in English or read their letter in English, don’t do that. And one more thing. Negotiate always the charge when you hire a taxi.
Is Morocco in Africa?
Yes, it is located in the Northern region of the continent of Africa. This is a sovereign region located between the latitudes of 27 and 36 north. And the longitudes are 1 and 14 west. This country even includes the western parts of the Saharan desert as well.
On the north side, Morocco is bordered by Spain. And from the western side, the Sahara Desert and the southern border is Mauritania.
Morocco in which continent?
It is located on the African continent.
Morocco food
