Moroccan Food: Top 10 Dishes That You Must Try
Morocco is known as the precious jewel of North Africa with its unique architecture, poetic beauty, vast nature, and many mysterious stories. Besides that, Moroccan food is famous for its attractive flavors, delicate combinations of many spices, and unique ways of processing. Although the culinary culture here is influenced by Spain, Arabia, and France, it still retains the traditional characteristic flavor. Let’s explore those delicious foods with The Broad Life and make sure you don’t miss them when visiting Morocco!
Couscous
Couscous is actually a type of dried pasta although it’s similar to rice. People steam or cook like rice, but with added salt, and butter… depending on the taste of the cook. In fact, this is a very popular dish in African countries such as Morocco, Libya, Algeria, and Egypt.
Couscous is often cooked with other ingredients such as sausages, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, onions, pate, eggplant, and peas. It is indispensable for spices to create a specific flavor for dishes such as cumin powder, and cinnamon powder. The Couscous dish is often sprinkled with cilantro and raisins on top for extra flavor. This is a dish that brings many health benefits, gradually becoming a familiar dish around the world.
Harira Soup
Harira is a familiar Moroccan soup that is often served at the dinner of the month of fasting. The dish is a harmonious combination of meat, lentils, and peas, creating a unique and attractive flavor to the dish. In particular, this is also a dish with high nutritional value, especially good for health. Surely, this is a good dish of Moroccan food for your great meal.
Mechoui (Lamb)
This is a traditional Moroccan dish in which the whole lamb is grilled over a large fire or in a pit. Home ovens can’t hold the whole lamb, so many recipes use lamb’s leg or shoulder. Then, the meat is grilled until tender enough and can be separated from the bones.
Mechoui made from lamb has an attractive golden color and with high nutritional value. Moroccans often eat this dish with salads or dill. When enjoying, you will feel the tender meat melt in your mouth, along with the characteristic sweet and aromatic flavor.
Moroccan Meatball
A popular dish in every family meal of the Moroccan people is meatball. The meatballs are marinated with paprika and dill, molded into small circles, and cooked in a tangy tomato sauce. The processing seems to be simple but requires delicate seasoning and reduction to have the correct taste.
Depending on the taste of each family, the meatball dish can be stewed with potatoes, peas, and carrots. The meatball of Moroccan food will be served with hot rice. The taste is easy to eat. Moroccans also use this dish to show hospitality when friends come to their homes to dine.
Grilled Skewers
Grilled skewers are the most popular street food in this country. Coming to Morocco, in every small town or flea market, you can find stalls selling delicious grilled skewers. People grill beef, chicken, and lamb marinated with traditional spices tomatoes, and onions, to sausages and beef liver, and lamb liver. For example, a dish made from diced chicken marinated with olive oil, garlic, dill, thyme, paprika, turmeric, and pepper,… seasoned with salt, and then grilled. These grilled meat skewers will usually be served with fries, tomatoes, olives, fresh bread, and wine.
Tagine
Tagine, or Tajine, is a traditional dish of the country of Morocco, clearly showing the characteristics of the cuisine here. There are 7 types of Tagine, including chicken stew with lemon and olives, tuna stew, sardines stew, lamb apple stew, vegetable stew, chicken potato stew, and apple stew. The appearance of some spices such as cinnamon powder, ginger, saffron pistil, turmeric powder, and chili,… create an irresistible attractive flavor to the dish.
Tanjia
Coming to the city of Marrakesh in the Kingdom of Morocco, you cannot ignore Tanjia. This dish is usually made from ingredients such as beef, chicken, lamb, salted lemon, and some typical spices.
To prepare this dish, people here simmer the meat for about 8 hours in a traditional clay pot to help the meat absorb the rich flavor. When enjoying Tanjia, you may need some bread to eat with.
Zaalouk
Zaalouk, fried eggplant salad, is a refreshing appetizer that is equally popular in Morocco. This is a hot salad made from dry roasted eggplant, grilled or fried with garlic, paprika, and cumin, and then cooked with tomato sauce.
Enjoying Zaalouk you will be “beaten” by the natural sweetness of eggplant, mixed with the spicy taste of chili, and the characteristic aroma of garlic and dill.
Baghrir Cake
There are many famous Moroccan cakes such as Tafernout, Ghoriba, and Fekkas. But Baghrir Cake is the most popular cake among tourists with the cute name “thousand-hole pancake” because of its distinctive appearance.
When baking the dough, the small holes of the cake are covered with honey sauce and melted butter to increase the aroma. After the cake is cooked, the people of Morocco will decorate it with more eye-catching dried fruits. The cake has a sweet, fragrant taste of honey, and a little greasy butter, suitable for many people’s tastes.
Baghrir cakes are often served for breakfast during important holidays. People believe that Baghrir will remove bad luck and bring good luck. Make sure to enjoy this famous cake when you come to Morocco.
Mint Tea
Mint tea is also known as “Moroccan whiskey” because of the people’s preference for this drink. This is also the perfect drink to go with traditional cakes. When coming here, you will be surprised because people drink mint tea at all times of the day, and all the shops sell this drink.
For a more delicious and refreshing tea, the people of Morocco will add a sugar cube. Ornate teapots served in ornate metal trays. When pouring tea from above, it creates a smooth, crown-like foam. On important occasions such as holidays, birthdays, and weddings, this special drink cannot be missed.
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Khoi Nguyen
Khoi Nguyen builds The Broad Life with a desire to inspire people go exploring the world and live a more interesting, experience, and adventurous life. This blog shares the stories, pictures, and experiences at destinations where he has traveled to.
32 Comments
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Khoi Nguyen
I’m sure you will like the Moroccan foods as many people do.
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linda
Wow i am food lover and always try new new food ! Harira soup sounds delicious.
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Khoi Nguyen
Harira soup is great!
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bruceschinkel19
These are some really great and unique dishes. Definitely something here for every taste, and i can wait to try them all!
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Khoi Nguyen
You will like them for sure.
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Lani Lyutz
I want to try everything, especially the Baghrir cake. Everything looks yum!
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Khoi Nguyen
You will like them so much.
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Rose Alexis
I make couscous here. I didn’t realize it was Moroccan. I did know it was delicious. 🙂
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Khoi Nguyen
Where do you live?
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Nyxie
Definitely some dishes we’ll be making an effort to try here! We’re going vege for the majority of the year so they’ll have to be the vege options for the most part.
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Khoi Nguyen
I’m sure you can find the vege version of the foods in Morocco.
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Prajakta
amongst the 10 traditional dishes that you mentioned about Morocco I love the tagine and couscous the most.
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Khoi Nguyen
Couscous is always a top choice of Moroccan food.
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Tools for Healthy Aging
If I ever go to Morocco, I’ll definitely try the cous cous and vegetables. That picture makes it look delicious.
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Khoi Nguyen
They are truly good.
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Life With Sonia | Women Empowerment Blogger (@lifewithsonia)
These food are delicious. I would love to try some of them. Especially the lamb.
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Khoi Nguyen
The lamb is so much attractive to me too.
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thewelltraveledchild
Morocco is on my bucket list. We were just in Porto Santo and were so close I could almost taste it! haha
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Khoi Nguyen
Don’t forget Morocco the next time you go to the place haha.
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kushigalu
Amazing collection of recipes. Thanks for sharing
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Khoi Nguyen
You’re welcome!
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Clarice
Wow! These look delicious. I would love to try the Moroccan meatballs in tomato sauce as well as the chicken skewers. Your post definitely made me hungry.
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Khoi Nguyen
Haha, I’m glad that this post makes you hungry.
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ebony
I went to Marrakech a few years ago and the food and culture were amazing! The mint tea was out of this world and I love the though they put into preparing their tea! The Mechoui was very tender and amazing as well!
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Khoi Nguyen
Seems like you had a great trip to Morocco.
I love everything related to mint so mint tea is always my top choice too.
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Ntensibe Edgar
Nnniiiccceeeee…I am so green about Moroccan food. I’d love to taste some Mechoui, though.
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Khoi Nguyen
Mechoui is truly a good choice.
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Fransic verso
These names are pretty new to me. but it seem definitely so delicious and would love to try them.
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Khoi Nguyen
You will regret it if you miss trying them.
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Tina
A tantalizing journey of flavors and spices awaits, from savory tagines to sweet pastries. An exotic culinary adventure for your taste buds!
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Khoi Nguyen
Thanks for your comment!
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Whitney Stewart
I’m always open to trying new foods; as long as it’s not still looking at me I’ll probably eat it! All of these sound really good too, especially that cake and mint tea! Thank you for sharing this with us!