Moroccan Cuisine

Moroccan cuisine is one of the most fragrant and refined in the world, a blend of Berber, Arab and Mediterranean traditions rich with spices, dried fruit and slow cooking. The famous tagine, a stew cooked in a conical earthenware pot, comes in endless forms, alongside fluffy couscous, spiced grills, harira soup and sweet, flaky pastries, all accompanied by the endless ritual of sweet mint tea.

Highlights

• The tagine - the slow-cooked stew in its conical earthenware pot.
• Couscous - the fluffy steamed semolina, traditionally a Friday dish.
• Mint tea - the sweet green tea poured theatrically from on high.
• The pastries and street food - the sweet pastries and grilled snacks.

When to go

Year-round; a long, shared meal in a riad or restaurant, or street food in the markets and the great square of Marrakech. Friday is traditionally the day for couscous, and the mint-tea ritual accompanies every occasion.

What to expect

Tourist-strip restaurants can serve bland, watered-down versions, so seek out a busy local place, a riad dinner or a home-cooking experience for the real thing. The mint tea is very sweet. Street food is delicious but choose busy, fresh stalls to avoid stomach trouble in the heat.

Nearby

Every region has its specialities; Marrakech and Fes are famous for their food and cooking classes.