Food & Drink

The Moroccan cuisine is among the best in the world — a fusion of Berber, Arab, Andalusian, and French influences. Spices are the foundation: cumin, coriander, cinnamon, saffron, turmeric, and the famous spice mix Ras el Hanout (literally: "head of the shop" — the best blend of the merchant, up to 30 spices).

The Main Dishes

• Tajine: Slow-cooked stews in clay dishes — the icon of Moroccan cuisine. Classics: chicken with preserved lemons and olives, lamb with prunes and almonds, Kefta (meatballs) with tomatoes and egg. Available in every restaurant, food stall, and Riad. 30–80 MAD.
• Couscous: Steamed semolina with vegetables and meat — traditionally the Friday dish (after Friday prayers, the family eats couscous together). Available daily in restaurants. 40–80 MAD.
• Pastilla (B'stilla): A pastry made from thin filo dough with pigeon or chicken meat, almonds, eggs, and cinnamon — sweet and savory at the same time. A masterpiece of Moroccan cuisine. 50–100 MAD.
• Harira: The national soup: tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, coriander, celery — thick, aromatic, warming. Traditionally served to break the fast during Ramadan, but available year-round. 10–20 MAD.
• Msemen & Beghrir: Moroccan flatbreads — Msemen (folded, buttery) and Beghrir (crêpes with a thousand holes, soaked in butter and honey). The breakfast of your dreams.
• Mechoui: A whole lamb, cooked for hours in a clay oven — the meat falls off the bone. The feast at weddings and special occasions. In specialized restaurants from 100 MAD per person.

Beverages

• Mint tea (Atay Nana): Green tea with fresh mint and LOTS of sugar — the national drink. Poured from a great height (for the foam) and served in small glasses. Refusal is (almost) impossible and unnecessary. 5–15 MAD.
• Freshly squeezed orange juice: Marrakech is an orange juice paradise — at every square, in every market. 4 MAD on the Djemaa, 10–15 MAD in a café.
• Coffee: "Noss-noss" (half-half) is the Moroccan milk coffee. Espresso: "café noir".
• Alcohol: Morocco is a Muslim country, but alcohol is available in tourist restaurants, hotels, and bars. No public consumption. Moroccan wine (Meknes region) is surprisingly good — Domaine de Sahari, Château Roslane.