Foods You Must Try When You Visit Morocco

Moroccan cuisine is incredibly delicious, from zaalouk to couscous, and you can never get enough of it. Even though Moroccan food is easy to find, these wholesome dishes are a treat for the taste buds.  The cuisine has evolved over time by striking a balance between traditional dishes like taijines and more modern ones. It is known for having strong flavours and colourful spices, making it a unique and exciting food. But there are more foods you must try when you visit Morocco.

Moroccan cuisine combines Arab, Mediterranean, and African flavours in all their delicacies, from tagines and couscous to pastries and tea. You can sample a wide variety of delectable, traditional dishes in Morocco, each with its own distinct flavoured method of preparation. The culinary delights of Morocco are not to be missed, whether you’re a foodie or just want to try new tastes and flavours. 

Let’s take a look at some of the must-try foods you should add to your list when you visit Morocco:

Enjoy Sumptuous Couscous

Couscous cannot be missed in any restaurant. The traditional meal served with vegetables or meat will leave you linking your fingers. Couscous is prepared as small balls of semolina and cooked until it softens.

You can enjoy the meal with a glass of sweet buttermilk blended with orange flowers and raisins. Since couscous is Morocco’s national dish, it is served mainly during special events like weddings, the conclusion of Ramadan, funerals, or public holidays. Traditionally, Fridays should be regarded as a “couscous day,” because most places serve it to visitors or customers.

Sample a Tajine

Tajine is the most famous dish in Morocco. It is a stew that is cooked in a cone-shaped earthenware pot. The pot’s function is to ensure the ingredients remain tender and moist. Some of the best tajines are preserved with green olives and lemons, especially chicken.

The licence to mix things up is what makes this meal a part of foods you must try when you visit morocco. If you don’t want the chicken, you can try the beef or lamb prepared with prunes. Some people also like spiced meatballs best when they are mixed with eggs and served with a spicy tomato sauce. 

Savour Morocco’s Bastilla

Bastilla, often called Pastilla, has become a favourite among tourists. The sweet pie is usually made with chicken, pigeon, or vegetables, as well as toasted sugared almonds, lemon, eggs, and caramelized onions. You can buy bastilla in any part of the country, dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon to give it a great taste. 

Chow Down on a Brochette

From the street stalls, you can pick brochette, which is a kebab sprinkled with spices and salt and grilled on a skewer. You enjoy this street food with hot chili paste (harissa), flatbread (khobz), and cumin. You can sample the different types of brochette that come in the form of kefta, chicken, lamb, or mixed meat like liver, kidney, heart, lamb, or beef.

Bite on Mechoui

Mechoui melts in your mouth when you take a bite. The traditional food consists of marinated lamb with spices. Mechoui is slow-roasted in an underground oven for hours, and it’s ready when the flesh falls off the bone. Most restaurants serve mechoui, but you can find it among the street stalls if you don’t want to step out for a bite.

Try the Legendary Tanjia

Slow-cooked tanjia is called the bachelor’s meal because it was first made by single men. These men put together preserved lemon, onions, meat, cumin, and garlic inside a terracotta pot.  They take the pot to the hammam or communal oven to slowly cook over hot coals. Today, Moroccans can serve you this meal in their homes.

Scoff Down on Rfissa

The first time you taste rfissa, you may not understand what hit your taste buds. However, the popular Moroccan food can be served at special events and has several health benefits. Rfissa is prepared as a stew of lentils, vegetables, and chicken and cooked over various breads like msemmen or harcha. The seasoning makes the rfissa’s recipe unique because they vary from place to place. 

Share Shakshuka with Friends

Some people call this Mediterranean breakfast dish shakshouka, prepared as poached eggs in a sumptuous tomato sauce filled with traditional spices, olive oil, onions, garlic, and peppers. Shakshuka can be cooked in different ways to give you varying tastes. You dip your bread inside the poached egg and tomato sauce for that one-in-a-lifetime taste.

Feed Your Taste Buds with Zaalouk

Zaalouk gives you a reason to love bread. The tasty Moroccan dip is prepared with herbs like cilantro, parsley, paprika, and cumin. In addition, spices, olive oil, garlic, fresh tomatoes, and eggplant are added to the meal. You can try zaalouk with meat, chicken, fish, or crusty bread. The best version of zaalouk is prepared with roasted eggplant because it adds flavor and smokiness to the meal.

Slurp Up Some Harira

If you are a soup person, you would love harira, chickpea soup, and zesty tomato-based lentil dishes. While you can try harira all year round, it is a special Ramadan meal used to break the fast. Prepared with lentils, onions, rice, tomatoes, flour, herbs, chickpeas, eggs, and spices, harira is flavoured with chicken, lamb, or beef. 

Treat yourself to Harcha

You might confuse harcha with English muffins because they have a similar texture and taste. The pan-fried bread is prepared with semolina, which consists of sugar, salt, butter, and baking powder. 

You can eat harcha with mint tea, but it is better when brushed with cheese, jam, or honey-butter syrup.

So, you’re keen on Morocco? Travel Tank offers a variety of tours, and you can find out more about them here. Love our food stories? read our recent article here.