21 MOROCCAN FOODS YOU MUST TRY IN MOROCCO

Morocco was full of flavors that were new to us. We were serious newbs. We didn’t even know what a tagine was before we went on our Contiki trip.

Moroccan dishes are influenced by Berber, Jewish, Arab, and French cultures. We’ve put together a list of foods we think is worth trying while visiting Morocco.

21 MOROCCAN FOODS TO TRY WHILE VISITING MOROCCO

1. Tagine

We had tagine multiple times while in Morocco. It’s a clay cooking pot with a conical lid with multiple types of dishes slow cooked inside (beef, lamb, chicken, veggies, etc). You can get it anywhere (a roadside stop, cafés, nicer restaurants to name a few places).

2. Couscous

Couscous is originally from Morocco and typically served with meat or vegetable stew. Traditionally it’s prepared on the Muslim holy day (Friday) and for special occasions, but you can find it at most restaurants and cafes.

3. Zaalouk

Zaalouk is a common side dish and typically served with crusty bread. It’s a spread made with eggplants, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and spices.

4. Fish Chermoula

Chermoula is a mix of herbs and spices used when grilling or baking fish and seafood. Depending on the mix, you’ll get flavors of onion, coriander, chili peppers, or saffron. Often times you’ll see it as a dipping sauce too!

5. Harira

This is basically a Moroccan lentil soup usually served as a starter or used during Ramadan to break the fast at dusk.

6. Pastilla (Chicken or Pigeon Pie)

If you love the mix of sweet and salty flavors than you definitely need to try pastille. This flaky pie is traditionally made with pigeon, but more commonly served with chicken now.

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7. Spicy Sardines

Morocco is the world’s largest exporter of sardines. Naturally, they also serve it all over the country. Stuffed and cooked with a spicy chermoula sauce, they deep fry the fish for a tasty snack.

8. Mint Tea

Everyone has his or her own version of mint tea, which is the drink of choice in Morocco. It’s a green tea base with lots of mint leaves and sugar.

9. Bissara

Commonly served during breakfast, this is a rich and hearty soup made from dried fava beans. Typically it will be topped with fresh olive oil and a sprinkle of cumin.

10. Crumbed Liver

You can try this with a side of fries or in a sandwich, but the smooth and buttery calves’ livers is a delicious fried dish.

11. Brochettes

These tasty kebabs are rubbed in salt and spices and can be found in a lot of the markets. You can get chicken, lamb, or beef and the enormous clouds of smoke make for great photos.

12. Eggplant Fritters

Aubergine, or eggplant, is common in a few different dishes in Morocco, but be sure to try the fritters. They slice the eggplant then dip them in a paprika batter before deep-frying them for a delicious side dish.

13. Snail Soup

Snail soup can be found all over Morocco. Use a toothpick to pick out the snails from the shells then slurp up to the soup. Locals believe the broth is good for digestion and fever.

14. Stuffed Camel Spleen

Taking on the form of a sausage, stuff camel spleen is soft and creamy. It’s usually filled with beef or lamb, olives, spices, and a bit of hump fat. It’s typically served in a sandwich.

15. Tanjia

Tanjia is named after the clay pot that it’s cooked in. It’s traditionally filled with chunks of beef or lamb and a bunch of spices, then slow cooked in the embers of a furnace.

16. Kaab el Ghazal

Kaab el Ghazal, or gazelle horns, are crescent-shaped pastries have almond paste scented with orange flower water and cinnamon.

17. Briwat or Briouats

You can’t leave Morocco without having some of the delicious sweets! Briwat is a deep fried filo pastry in the shape of a triangle and filled with almonds.

18. Shebakia

Another delicious dessert, shebakia is a flower-shaped, fried sesame cookie dipped in honey. You’ll usually find bees all over them in the markets, and they just shoo them away before serving them to you. It’s all part of the experience.

BONUS TIP: Don’t Forget Your Immodium

It doesn’t matter how strong you think your stomach is. It’s better to be safe than sorry, friend. We’re no strangers to eating street foods in the countries we visit, and we’ve rarely gotten sick. I’ve never taken Immodium before. On this trip, a third of our tour got sick after our first night, including me, and that Immodium came in really handy!

Would you try the sheep’s head, pigeon pie, or snail soup? Which of these foods do you want to try the most? Are we missing anything on our list that we need to try on our next trip?