A First-Timer's Guide to Moroccan Food

Food is one of the quiet highlights of any Morocco trip. Here's a short primer on what you'll be eating along the way.

Tagine

Named after the cone-shaped clay pot it's cooked in, tagine is a slow-braised stew — usually chicken with preserved lemon and olives, lamb with prunes and almonds, or a vegetable version for vegetarians.

Couscous

Traditionally a Friday dish: steamed semolina grains served with a rich vegetable and meat broth spooned over the top.

Pastilla

A savoury-sweet pie, traditionally made with pigeon (now often chicken), wrapped in delicate warqa pastry and dusted with cinnamon and sugar.

Mint tea

Poured from height into small glasses, sweet mint tea is offered constantly as a gesture of hospitality — in shops, riads, and by the roadside.

Vegetarian travellers

Morocco is easier for vegetarians than many first-timers expect — vegetable tagines and couscous are on almost every menu, and our driver-guides are used to finding good options along every route, from the 8 day tour from Casablanca to the shorter desert loops.