Reference
Food and drink
20 things: Cooked, baked, drunk.
AghroumAghroum (aɣrum) is the Amazigh word for bread: the IRCAM dictionary lists it as a masculine noun meaning “pain”, خبز. In the Rif it is baked from barley flour in the household oven, while in southern Morocco various breads bear this name, distinguished by the way they are baked.AmlouA paste of roasted, ground almonds, honey and argan oil, the oil of the argan tree, which grows only in south-western Morocco. In the Souss, amlou is part of breaking the fast during Ramadan.AtayGreen tea from China, usually of the gunpowder variety, prepared with fresh mint and sugar from a sugar loaf and poured from a height. It is regarded as a sign of Moroccan hospitality.BaghrirA soft, thick pancake, smooth on the side that lies in the pan and full of holes on top like a honeycomb. During Ramadan it is on the table to break the fast in many areas, for example in Beni Mellal, Ouarzazate and Taliouine.Berkane clementineClementines from the Triffa plain around Berkane, between the Mediterranean and the Beni Snassen mountains, seedless and of two varieties (Berkane clone and Nules). Since 2010 “Clémentine de Berkane” has been officially recognised as a geographical indication.BissaraA thick soup of dried peas or broad beans with cumin, paprika and olive oil. It is a speciality of Tangier, very popular throughout the north and a dish for winter.ChebakiaA pastry of firm dough, deep-fried and dipped in honey or syrup, also called griouch or m'kharqa depending on the area; the dough contains sesame, anise, cinnamon and orange blossom water. During Ramadan, in many regions of Morocco it is part of breaking the fast together with harira and dates.CouscousSemolina rolled by hand into small grains and cooked over steam, served with vegetables and meat according to the area, season and occasion. Since 2020 couscous has been on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage, as a joint entry of four countries of the Maghreb.Dakhla oystersOysters have been farmed in Morocco since 1950, first in the lagoon of Oualidia. In 2019 around 411 tonnes a year came from Dakhla and Oualidia, at Dakhla among other places from the Duna Blanca shellfish zone.HariraA thick soup of tomatoes, meat and pulses, thickened at the end with flour stirred in, which turns out slightly differently in every family. In Fez, Meknes, Tangier, Marrakesh, Rabat and Casablanca it is part of breaking the fast during Ramadan.KhliiBeef, mutton or dromedary meat in strips, marinated with garlic, vinegar, coriander and salt, dried in the sun and cooked in fat; in the medina of Fez this is a centuries-old tradition. During Ramadan it comes to the table in Fez with msemen and in Meknes in stuffed rghaif.MsemenA flatbread from the Maghreb, folded into a square with many layers and cooked on a hot griddle. It is on the table to break the fast during Ramadan in many places in Morocco, in Fez together with khlii.OlivesWhether a table olive is green, turning colour or black depends on its ripeness at harvest. In Morocco the Picholine marocaine variety accounts for more than 90 per cent of olive trees and supplies both oil and table olives.PastillaA sweet and savoury pie of paper-thin, buttered sheets of warqa, filled with pigeon or chicken, eggs, herbs and almonds. In the 20th century it went from being a festive dish of the urban elite in Fez, Rabat and Tetouan to a festive dish throughout the country.RfissaShredded, thinly cooked flatbreads under a broth of chicken, lentils and fenugreek. Traditionally the family cooks rfissa for a woman after she has given birth.SardineThe sardine accounts for around 64 per cent of Moroccan catches. Morocco is the world’s largest producer and exporter of canned sardines and, according to the Ministry of Fisheries, exported 152,137 tonnes of them in 2022.SellouA mixture of toasted flour, almonds, sesame and honey, also called sfouf or zemmita. It is one of the most important sweets of Ramadan, for example when breaking the fast in Fez and Meknes.SmenButter preserved with salt that matures for months in a jar or clay pot; it flavours couscous, tagines and harira. Clarified butter also goes by this name.TanjiaMeat cooked in a sealed clay jar, the tanjia, in the ashes of a hammam’s furnace, a dish of the craftsmen and traders of Marrakesh. As early as the 17th century, the scholar al-Marghiti described its preparation in a poem.ZaaloukA cooked salad of aubergines and tomatoes, a traditional dish of the cuisine of the Maghreb. It is usually eaten as a starter with bread.