Moroccan Food: What You Need to Know to Enjoy the Local Cuisine
- Morocco Travel Group
- Jun 21, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 2, 2024
Looking at photos of Moroccan food makes your mouth water. All those vibrant colors on colorful plates and tagine dishes, are the perfect backdrop for the amazing food.
Spices
When you think of Morocco, you envision piles and piles of brightly colored spices. Although many spices are used, Moroccan food is not considered to be terribly spicy. One of the most featured spices is cumin. It is considered a local favorite and can be found in most dishes. Not far behind are cinnamon, ginger, and mild chilis. Thanks to imports from Asia, coriander, turmeric, clove, paprika and allspice are commonly used as well.
Note:
Be sure to pick up some spices as a souvenir from one of the local medinas (marketplaces). Cooking with all those aromas back home will be sure to transport you back to Morocco.
Staples
Couscous can be found on almost any table and is considered a national staple. Meats are also found in most dishes and include chicken, lamb, or beef. Want a local favorite appetizer? Ask for sardines!
Note:
Vegetarian options are common in Morocco with chickpeas and lentils as a popular meat substitute. Common veggies include potatoes, onions, carrots, peppers and turnips.
Etiquette
Moroccans typically eat with their hands especially when it comes to eating from a tagine. However, your fingers must never touch the tagine itself. The popular cutlery in Morocco is flat bread. Using your index finger and middle finger hold the bread while your thumb pushes the food onto the bread. If you use all of your fingers, it is considered a sign of gluttony!
It is also important to remember to only eat with your right hand because in their culture, the left hand is considered to be unclean. Also, only reach into the portion of the bowl or plate that is directly in front of you. Never do a “farmhouse reach”.
Tagine
Eating from a tagine is considered very sociable in Morocco and is often shared while seating on the floor at a low table. Basically, it is a hearty dish of meat or fish and vegetables where all the ingredients are cooked together in a round earthenware pot over a charcoal fire. The tagine pot is characterized by its domed (Berber) or pointed (Arab) lid.
Note:
Want to have your own tagine? Bring one home with you from Morocco or you can find them online. Plan a party and invite everyone to sit on the floor and use their hands to eat!
Final Note:
Everyone agrees that one of the best things about foreign travel is the local cuisine. Consider taking a cooking class while abroad or pick up a cookbook from local chefs. Nothing brings you back to an amazing adventure like the smell of food.
Want some recipes? Here are some links...
Morocco Travel Adventures Group parent APR GROUP, INC. is recipient of TripAdvisor's 2024 Travelers Choice Award for high traveler ratings. MTAG organizes and executes bespoke private all-inclusive Morocco tours between 4 - 11 days for individuals, families and friends. Each trip is tailored to the selected trip dates, travelers' interests and budgets.
Each trip features:
Round-trip flights from the U.S.A. or Europe
Customized tailor-made itinerary to suit travelers' interests and budget
Widely respected private guide
Chauffeured Mercedes luxury van
Vetted lodging in luxury villas, riyads, hotels
Most all meals, dinners at Morocco's best restaurants***
Extraordinary experiences, hidden gems off the beaten track
*** A "foodies" travel advisory”: Moroccan food was voted “World’s Best Cuisine” in the July 2024 poll of 2.5 million worldwide food enthusiasts taken by Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay. See the announcement.
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