Short answerA tagine is cooked in a shallow clay dish with a cone-shaped lid, usually over coals, with countless recipes. A tanjia is a Marrakech speciality: beef or lamb with preserved lemon, garlic, cumin and smen sealed in a tall clay urn and slow-cooked for many hours in the embers of a hammam furnace.
The difference at a glance
| Tagine | Tanjia | |
|---|---|---|
| Pot | Flat dish with conical lid | Tall urn-shaped jar |
| Cooking | Over coals or stove, 1–3 h | In hammam embers, 6–8 h or more |
| Ingredients | Endless: chicken, beef, fish, vegetables | Beef or lamb, preserved lemon, garlic, cumin, saffron, smen |
| Origin | All of Morocco | Marrakech |
| Tradition | Family meal | Traditionally a men’s Friday picnic dish |
Popular tagines
- Chicken with preserved lemon and olives
- Beef with prunes and almonds
- Kefta (meatballs) with eggs
- Vegetable tagine
Where to taste tanjia
Look for small specialised stalls near the medina’s markets, where tanjias are prepared in the morning and taken to the farnatchi (hammam furnace keeper). Some restaurants also serve it.
Tagine in the desert
Tagine is the classic main course at the Agafay desert dinner show. Discover more in the Moroccan food guide.
FAQ
What is the difference between tanjia and tagine?
The pot and the method: tagine cooks in a flat dish with a cone lid; tanjia in a tall urn buried in hammam embers.
Where does tanjia come from?
Marrakech.
Is tanjia spicy?
It is fragrant with cumin, garlic and preserved lemon rather than hot.
Is tagine served at desert dinners?
Yes, it is usually the main course.
