Due to Morocco’s interactions with different cultures, Moroccan cuisine takes influences from of Berber, Arabic, Andalusian, and Mediterranean cuisines.
Morocco’s most famous dish is undoubtedly the tajine – a slow-cooked stew cooked in a conical pot that could be plain and wholesome, meaty, spicy or even studded with nuts and dried fruit, but it’s far from all the county has to offer. Snacks and quick meals might include a warming bowl of harira (lentil soup), spicy merguez sausages, fresh fried fish or savoury chunks of slow roasted lamb or goat. Bite-sized pastries and biscuits, and sticky toffee-like dates, tempt those with a sweet tooth alongside the national drink – mint tea served hot and usually incredibly sweet.
Bread and couscous are staple carbs, but if you get the chance to try a tangia in Marrakesh, don’t hesitate. This intensely savoury slow-cooked beef dish is traditionally baked in a clay pot and is served with sfa – sweet vermicelli seasoned with icing sugar – an odd but surprisingly moreish combination.
Mint tea is a national staple drink but be sure not to miss the squeezed orange juices from the food stalls. Wine lovers in Morocco can enjoy a visit to the wine-producing vineyards not far from Essouaira.