Mint tea: the "Berber whisky"
They call it that with humour — it has no alcohol, but it's offered on every visit, in every negotiation, at every moment. If you walk into a shop and you're offered tea, it isn't just courtesy: it's the start of the conversation.
It's made with gunpowder green tea, fresh mint and lots of (and I mean lots of!) sugar. It's poured from a height to create foam, into small glasses, always three times: the first bitter like life, the second sweet like love, the third gentle like death, says a Berber proverb.
The tajine
It's both the dish and the vessel: a conical clay pot that lets you cook slowly while keeping in all the juices. There are dozens of varieties, the most common being:
- Chicken tajine with preserved lemon and olives: the most typical, sweet-and-sour, incredible.
- Lamb tajine with prunes and almonds: king at weddings and celebrations.
- Kefta tajine (meatballs) with baked eggs and tomato: the breakfast-lunch of the farmer.
- Fish tajine: typical of the Atlantic coast (Essaouira, Casablanca).
The Friday couscous
Traditionally it's eaten only on Fridays, on returning from midday prayers. The "authentic" version is steamed 3 times, not made in 5 minutes as in Europe. Served with lamb, vegetables and caramelised onion broth.
Other dishes you have to try
- Pastilla (or bastilla): a puff-pastry pie filled with pigeon or chicken with almonds, cinnamon and icing sugar. Yes, it sounds strange. Yes, it's brilliant.
- Harira: a soup of tomato, lentils, chickpeas and lamb. Traditional for breaking the Ramadan fast.
- Mechoui: a whole lamb roasted in an earth oven, a celebration dish.
- Msemen and baghrir: pancakes and crêpes for breakfast, with honey and melted butter.
Practical tips
In Morocco you eat with your right hand (the left is reserved for personal hygiene). Bread replaces the fork. In a family home, wait for the host to start — and always leave a little on your plate as a sign that you're full.
