The food in Morocco has long been thought of as one of the most interesting and diverse cuisines of the World. There is real fusion of different tastes including Berber, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and African. The modern day Moroccan cuisine has been refined over centuries from what was originally cooked by the chefs in royal palaces of Fez, Marrakesh and Rabat. Moroccan dishes are rich in spices like cumin, coriander, saffron and chilli unlike the herb-based cooking in many of the Mediterranean countries.

Couscous and granular semolina are important in Moroccan cooking and is often cooked with spices, vegetables, nuts and raisins. It is used as a meal in itself or cooked with rich stews and roasted meats such as lamb, which is a principal meat in Morocco.

Morocco produces a large quantity of fruit and vegetables along with sheep, poultry, cattle and seafood which are widely used in many of the traditional dishes. The lamb in Morocco does taste quite different from Western lamb as most of the fat in Moroccan lamb in concentrated in the tail, which means it does not have quite a strong flavour. Although lamb is a favourite in Morocco it can be quite expensive so you will also find a lot of chicken dishes which is a lot less pricey.

While spices are commonly used in Moroccan cuisine many of them have been imported for thousands of years except for the common home grown ingredients such as saffron, mint, olives, oranges and lemons.

Food plays an important role in everyday life in Morocco where the midday meal will form the main meal of the day, with the exception of the holy month of Ramadan. This meal usually begins with a selection of hot and cold salads followed by a tagine, a type of stew. Bread is a common accompaniment with all meals. The main part of the meal will usually be a lamb or chicken dish followed by a large plate of couscous topped with a variety of meats and vegetables. The meal is usually finished of with a cup of sweet mint tea. It is not unusual for Moroccan’s to eat using their fingers whilst using the bread as a sort of utensil.

Deserts are not generally served at the end of a meal in Morocco which might be a reason why mint tea is so important, but if a desert is served it might typically be one of these. Kaab el ghzal (gazelle’s horns) which is a croissant like pastry filled with an almond paste and covered in sugar. Honey cakes are another favourite, these are pretzel shaped pieces of dough that are deep-fried and dipped in to a pot of hot honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. You might also be tempted by Halwa Shebakia cookies or Zucre Coco, coconut fudge cakes.

The mint tea that is common place with the main meal is also probably the most popular drink in general in Morocco. Making a good mint tea is considered an art form and drinking tea with friends and family is a very important part of the day. As important as the making of the tea is the pouring of it which can be quite tricky for the novice as the pot used is quite large with a long, curved spout and poured in to the glasses from quite a height.

Outside of Morocco couscous is one of the most popular dishes to found across Europe and other parts of the globe. Many supermarkets and restaurants will stock or serve couscous along with Moroccan preserved lemons and Moroccan spices.