THE TAGINE COOKING WITH OLIVES AND PRESERVED LEMONS 1. TAGINE We had tagine multiple times while in Morocco. It’s a clay cooking pot with a ...
THE TAGINE COOKING WITH OLIVES AND PRESERVED LEMONS
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.
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.
7. MAKOUDA
Who doesn’t love deep-fried foods? Makouda is a deep-fried potato ball dipped in spicy sauce and definitely a street food staple.
Who doesn’t love deep-fried foods? Makouda is a deep-fried potato ball dipped in spicy sauce and definitely a street food staple.
8. KHOBZ
This crusty bread is typically baked in communal wood-fired ovens and served with a lot of meals. Also, be sure to check out all the other breads in Morocco, like the harcha (a buttery bread), rghaif (a flaky flat bread), or baghira (spongy crumpet).
9. STEAMED SHEEP HEAD
During the festival of Eid al-Adha, everyone slaughters a sheep then steams the head for hours. You can typically purchase a half or whole head and enjoy it with cumin, salt, and chili. The whole head is edible, but the best parts are the tender cheek meat and tongue.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. KAAB EL GHAZAL
Kaab el Ghazal, or gazelle horns, are crescent-shaped pastries have almond paste scented with orange flower water and cinnamon.
20. 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.
21. 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
Delicious Moroccan Foods You MUST Try!
by Christian | Morocco Articles, Morocco Food
Food is a major part of Moroccan culture. Its diverse and intense flavors perfectly capture Morocco’s multiethnic background, tumultuous history and rich heritage – and they’re an integral part of the country’s renowned hospitality. Best of all? Moroccan food is absolutely delicious.Influenced by Arabic, Berber, Andalusian, and French traditions, Morocco’s cuisine is filled with intriguing flavor combinations that will surprise you with every bite. Think fresh sardines seasoned with a tasty combination of parsley, coriander, cumin and a dash of chili. Or an unexpected rich pigeon meat pie coated with cinnamon and sugar icing.It’s said that Morocco’s traditional dishes are tastiest when served at home. So, eat with a family if you can or at least a family-owned restaurant during your journey through Morocco. If you can’t then some of the best food can also be found in riads
Our favorite Moroccan food!
Tagine
Morocco’s most famous dish is actually named after the conical clay pot in which it’s cooked. A staple in every menu – from roadside stalls to top notch restaurants – tagineconsists of a warm stew of tender meat and vegetables seasoned with a blend of spices and always served with a side of khobz (bread). Slow-cooked chicken with green olives and lemons is arguably the classic base but make sure to try the kefta variety where minced lamb or beef is rolled into balls, cooked in a tomato and onion sauce, and topped with an egg.
B’ssara
When you’re on-the-go in the morning, there’s nothing better than Morocco’s most beloved street food. For a few pennies at a food stall, this hearty soup of dried broad beans will also come with a delicious side of freshly baked khobz. Typically served at breakfast, with olive oil, cumin and sometimes paprika dusted on top, b’ssara is sure to leave you feeling satisfied until lunchtime!
Fish Chermoula
But it’s not all stews and purées: Morocco’s long coastline also means that the national cuisine is filled with tasty fish recipes cooked with the freshest catch of the day. Chermoula is one of the local favorite ways to season it – its tasty combination of herbs and spices is perfect to marinate the fish before grilling or to use as a dipping sauce.
Harira
This traditional Berber soup has many variations throughout Morocco but the most basic recipes will include flour, lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, a blend of spices, some pieces of lamb or chicken and a squeeze of lemon juice. Usually served as a starter, this hearty soup is actually filling enough to be a meal in itself and it’s traditionally used to break the fast at sunset during RAMADAN
B’stilla
A Fassi (from Fez) specialty, b’stilla is thought to have been originally brought over to Morocco from Andalucía by the Moors. An elaborate pie, b’stilla creates an intriguing mix of salty and sweet with pigeon meat cooked in spices and topped with a layer of toasted and ground almonds and cinnamon, all wrapped in warka pastry. Traditionally served at weddings and other celebrations, b’stilla has also become a street food staple and it’s the ultimate Moroccan sweet-savory combination!
Mint Tea
Jokingly referred to as “Berber whiskey”, mint tea is Morocco’s national drink. It is woven into the country’s most ancient practices of hospitality and serving it is an art form. Gunpowder tea is flavored with sprigs of fresh mint and heavily sweetened with sugar chipped off a sugar cone. It’s usually poured from metal teapots into glasses from a great height to create a bubbly froth called “the crown” which is meant to make it more appealing.
So which dish are you most looking forward to trying? Journey Beyond Travel can help arrange a culinary adventure in Morocco. Stay in beautiful riads with great meals, take a food tour, and enjoy dining under the stars just for starters!
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