Short answerMust-try Moroccan dishes include tagine (slow-cooked stew), couscous (traditionally on Fridays), tanjia (Marrakech’s urn-cooked beef), pastilla (sweet-savoury pie), harira soup, zaalouk and other cooked salads, msemen pancakes and mint tea. Many are served at desert dinners in Agafay.
Main dishes
- Tagine — chicken with preserved lemon and olives, beef with prunes, kefta with eggs.
- Couscous — steamed semolina with vegetables and meat, a Friday tradition.
- Tanjia — Marrakech speciality slow-cooked in hammam ashes. See tanjia vs tagine.
- Pastilla — pigeon or chicken pie with almonds, sugar and cinnamon.
- Mechoui — slow-roasted lamb.
- Rfissa — shredded msemen with chicken and lentils.
- Grilled brochettes and kefta.
Soups and salads
- Harira — tomato, lentil and chickpea soup.
- Bissara — fava bean soup, a winter breakfast.
- Zaalouk — smoky aubergine salad.
- Taktouka — peppers and tomatoes.
- Carrot salad with cumin and orange.
Breads and breakfast
- Khobz — round bread.
- Msemen — square flaky pancakes.
- Baghrir — “thousand-hole” pancakes with honey butter.
- Amlou — argan, almond and honey spread.
Sweets and drinks
- Chebakia — honey sesame cookies (Ramadan favourite).
- Cornes de gazelle.
- Fresh orange juice.
- Mint tea — the ceremony explained.
Eat under the stars
Salads, tagine and fruit are the heart of the Agafay desert dinner — read what to expect at a dinner show. Or earn your dinner with the quad, camel and dinner combo.
FAQ
What is the national dish of Morocco?
Couscous is often considered the national dish, with tagine a close second.
What is a Marrakech speciality?
Tanjia, beef slow-cooked in a clay urn in the embers of a hammam furnace.
Is Moroccan food spicy?
It is aromatic rather than hot: cumin, ginger, saffron and cinnamon dominate.
Can vegetarians eat well in Morocco?
Yes: vegetable tagines, couscous, salads, soups and breads are widely available.
