Morocco Local Food

Local Food

Moroccan cuisine is a blend of Mediterranean, Arabic, Jewish, West African, Berber and Persian. Meals range from quick bites of lamb sandwiches and Merguez sausages at a curb side snack bar, to the diffa, an elaborate multicourse feast involving elegantly presented couscous and grilled meats. Produce in Morocco is seasonal, grown locally and generally free from chemicals and pesticides. Restaurants in resorts and in the cities offer a variety of food including typical Moroccan cuisine, as well as, French, Italian, Spanish and fusion dishes.

National specialities include: Pastilla (a pigeon-meat pie with flaky dough and dusted with cinnamon and sugar), Harira (a spicy tomato soup), Couscous, Tajine (a rich stew with a combination of meat with onions, olives, tomato, almonds and herbs) and Mechoui (slow roasted stuffed lamb or beef).

Alcohol is available in liquor stores, supermarkets, clubs, restaurants, hotels and discos. Muslims are forbidden to drink alcohol and by law no one is allowed to drink alcohol in view of a mosque or during Ramadan. Locally produced wines, beers and mineral waters are reasonably priced however imported drinks are expensive. Do not drink tap water even in hotels as it will usually result in illness. Bottled water is available everywhere.

National drinks include: Mint tea (a strong green tea mixed with fresh mint and heavily laced with sugar) and Coffee (French, espresso or Turkish style). The legal drinking age is 18.