Moroccan food is undoubtedly one of the most delicious and unique cuisines in the world. Drawing on the influences of its indigenous  North African roots, its Arab ties, and its history of European colonization, Morocco has a cuisine that has evolved to become a melting pot of flavors, textures, and ingredients.

While in Morocco, there are definitely some dishes that cannot be missed. Check out my top 10 MUST-TRY Moroccan dishes!

1. Tagine  

Tagine doesn’t actually refer to one specific recipe, but instead a general style of Moroccan cooking and the type of cookware used to produce traditional Moroccan food.

Either made of clay or metal, the tagine is a pot with a flat bottom and a cone-shaped lid. Various vegetables, meats, and spices are placed in the tagine, and the tagine is left to slow roast over a stove or fire. The bottom layer of ingredients become irresistibly slow roasted while the unique shape helps to steam the rest of the food to perfection.

Once the food is ready, the lid is lifted off to release the steam and the food is brought to the table to be dug into! However, there is one thing missing from the table: forks! Tagine is always meant to be eaten by hand with lots of fresh Moroccan bread!

Tagines come in a variety of flavors, but all are delicious. Defiantly never turn away a chance to try a fresh tagine!

2. Couscous 

If tagine were to be the prince of Moroccan food, couscous would have to be king.

In Morocco, couscous is not simply a type of food. Instead, it is an essential part of the country’s cultural fabric and is a food so special that a day of the week is reserved especially for it.

EVERY Friday, ALL Moroccan families come together for homemade couscous in a tradition known as “Couscous Friday”. It’s also the only day that you can get couscous served at restaurants, and you’ll see the whole country enjoying it on their Friday lunch break.

Unlike the microwave-in-the-bag couscous that you find in the United States and in Europe, couscous in Morocco is a much more time consuming labor of love.

Couscous is usually made of a meat (either chicken or beef), zucchini, squash, carrot, cabbage, chickpeas, potatoes, fava beans, golden raisins, fermented butter, and couscous that is all slowly steamed to perfection for hours using a special couscous steamer.

On top of the couscous, the rich and sweet gem of the dish is placed: a mix of  onions, raisins, sugar, and spices that are heavily caramelized to create the perfect balance of sweet and salty in the dish.

Couscous is defiantly a dish that CANNOT be missed on any trip to Morocco!

3. Mint Tea

Another staple in the Moroccan diet is Mint Tea, jokingly referred to as “Moroccan Whiskey” die to its almost addictive sugary taste.

This tea is another Moroccan food item of cultural significance, as it is a essential in business and political meetings. There are even certain cultural traditions on how to pour the tea and how much tea to pour based on the region/occasion of the tea drinking.

No proper Moroccan meal would be complete without a final glass of mint tea. Made with green tea, lots of sugar, and lots of fresh mint, this tea is the perfect way to relax and refresh after a delicious Moroccan feast.

You can find mint tea in any Moroccan restaurant, or if you can buy the special gunpowder green tea needed to make the drink here.

4. Pastilla – My personal favorite Moroccan food!

If you’re someone who loves sweet-and-salty combinations, you’ll absolutely love Moroccan food. Apart from couscous’ distinct sweet and savory flavor combination, another dish that stands out is the Moroccan sweet pastilla meat pie.

Pastilla is traditionally made of shredded pigeon or chicken meat, roasted almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and eggs wrapped up in a phyllo-like dough. It is then baked until crispy and topped with powered sugar.

While many people find this very sweet, meaty dish to be a strange combination of flavors, it is one of my favorite Moroccan dishes and should defiantly not be missed!

5. Grilled  Sandwiches from Street Vendors

Around lunch time, you’ll often see many little butcher shops setting up small grills outside of their stores. These butchers are offering a delicious lunch special that consists of traditional Moroccan sausages cooked with lots of spices, onions, and eggs that are then stuffed inside traditional Moroccan bread to create the perfect on-the-go sandwich.

Usually selling for less than $2, these hearty and delicious sandwiches are the perfect way to refuel on a long day of sightseeing or trekking across the country.

6. Harira

While the United States has Chicken Noodle Soup and France has French Onion Soup, Morocco has Harira, it’s most famous and most traditional soup. Made of tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, spices, and rice or vermicelli noodles), this hearty soup is a Moroccan staple that can be crafted quickly and inexpensively.

It’s the perfect appetizer, light lunch, or afternoon snack!

7. Avocado Juice 

Avacado Fans: REJOICE!

Morocco is quite possible avocado heaven. Instead of coming in the form of avocado toast or guacamole, Moroccan avocados come in the form of juice.

Sold at all juice stores, avocado juice is a life-changing drink made of milk, avocado, and sugar. Sometimes, they even blend in chocolate or fresh nuts.

Avocado juice is one of the most refreshing things amiable, and coming in at only about $1.5 per freshly-made glass, it’s defiantly a better deal than any of the fresh pressed juices you’ll find at Whole Foods.

8. Zaalouk 

Zaalouk is an amazing Moroccan salad made of seasoned eggplants, tomatoes, and garlic. Slow roasted until soft and creamy, the ingredients take on a deep, smoky flavor that makes this the perfect appetizer to any Moroccan meal!

9. Kefta Tagine 

While all Tagines are delicious, there is one that stands out in my memory as unspeakably delicious. Kefta tagine, made with lots of fresh kefta sausage, spices, eggs, tomatoes, and fresh olive oil, you’ll defiantly be scraping the bottom of the tagine with bread to try to get every last drip of this delicious dish!

10. Moroccan Pastries 

While mint tea may give you a sugar high on its own, it still wouldn’t be complete without a side of Moroccan pastries. Mostly almond or sesame based, these rich pasties  are equally delicious to their mint tea accompaniment.  While they may may not be good for your waistline, they are defiantly a treat for your tastebuds that you will remember!

Do you have any favorite Moroccan dishes? If so, share below in the comments!