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Morocco

Food, Dining, & Drinks

Dining Etiquette

Moroccan dining is fairly straight forward, but may be fairly different from your home country. When dining with locals, dress conservatively and bring pastries as these are a great gift for a host. If at a local's home, remove your shoes and greet every person individually, beginning with the oldest or most senior male. Although Morocco is generally liberal on Muslim standards, among some people, women and men should not make physical contact so observe the local women to determine how to behave and wait for them to initiate any contact, like a handshake.

Depending on the individual family or company you are dining with, men and women may eat separately, but this is rare. Just to be safe, don't sit until your host has shown you your seat. Before sitting though, you are expected to wash your hands; the locals will do this as well so just follow their lead. Once back in the dining area, you may find that the tables are low and there may not be any chairs, as sitting on the floor is common in Morocco.

Once the food is served, it will most likely be served family style, except in some restaurants, where individual plates are ordered. Some families will begin the meal with a prayer, then let the host lead with the serving; he or she may ask you to help yourself first, but wait until directed to do so. Once you have your food though, do not eat until the host indicates the meal has begun, sometimes this is done by clapping his hands.

Once you begin eating, only use your right hand, this rule must be followed for touching food, eating utensils, and even for drinking. One food that you'll most definitely be offered is bread, which may be used to pick up your food and eat. However, you'll also get a fork and spoon so there's no obligation to dine with your hands. You'll also be given a napkin, but use this to dab your mouth as opposed to wiping your hands on it. Water is the most common beverage served with a meal, but many times tea will also be offered.

You will most likely be presented with vast quantities of food and do accept a second helping as your host will view this as a compliment. Once you are finished, leave a small amount of food on your plate to show your host has provided more than enough. But as you finish, leave some room for dessert as sweet pastries are many times served. With or without pastries, there is little doubt that you'll be offered mint tea to finish the meal.

For restaurant tipping information, read Morocco's Expenses & Tipping section.

History & Influences

Moroccan food has been altered numerous times over history as the region has been exposed to a number of outside influences, but even today, the base of their diet has changed very little. Much like most North African food, Moroccan cuisine is based on the traditional Berber diet and what ingredients were locally available. Morocco has great growing seasons, being between the Mediterranean and Atlantic. Fruits and vegetables are abundant and, along with couscous, a flour-based product, have become the foundation of their cuisine.

In the 600s, the Arabs took over the region and brought with them a huge number of spices along with Islam, which demands a couple dietary restrictions, including the abstinence of eating pork. The people quickly added these new spices to their local foods and have since heavily seasoned many of their dishes.

In the 1500s and beyond, both the Spanish and English landed on the shores of Morocco, with the Spanish introducing many more spices and cooking techniques. Soups and desserts became more popular and again, new spices were introduced and quickly incorporated into the local diet.

This Spanish influence returned a number of times throughout history after this point, but due to Morocco's location, Spain was just one of many influences. The Turks controlled much of North Africa and this influence spilled over to Morocco as they, like neighboring Algeria, adopted sweet Turkish-influenced desserts. The French also arrived and encouraged new cooking techniques.

Today, the base of the Moroccan diet remains with the fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown in the country. This begins with flour production, the base of couscous, which remains the country's primary staple and is commonly served with stews and other dishes. Plus, the locally produced almonds, hard-boiled eggs, raisins, and harissa, a spicy sauce, are commonly found in traditional Moroccan dishes.

Staple Foods

Couscous: semolina, which is a made of flour; typically served with a meat or vegetable stew spooned over it

Regional Varieties & Specialties

Tajine: lamb or poultry stew, which is very common and varies from house to house and restaurant to restaurant

Drinks

Although nearly every non-alcoholic beverage is available in Morocco, one of the more authentic drinks is green tea with mint.

As a primarily Muslim country, Morocco has very little alcohol available, but it can be purchased, as there is some demand from more liberal Muslims.

This page was last updated: November, 2011