When you come to stay at Riad Linda, here are some of the most delicious Moroccan foods you can try.
There are many delicious Moroccan dishes to choose from, but some favourites include zaaluk (a flavorful eggplant dip), tangia (a chicken and spice stew), rfissa (a hearty chicken and lentil soup), bastilla (a savory chicken pies), and sardines (freshly caught and grilled). Each dish is flavored with a unique blend of spices, making them truly irresistible. And, of course, no meal would be complete without a cup of sweet mint tea.
Interestingly, many Moroccan dishes are actually of Amazigh origin. The Amazigh people are the indigenous people of Morocco, and their cuisine has been passed down through the generations. A favourite Amazigh dish is maakouda, a potato pancake that is typically served with a spicy harissa sauce. Another must-try dish is amlou, a rich almond paste that is often used as a bread spread.
When you come to Morocco, be sure to try some of these amazing dishes! You won’t be disappointed.
Zaaluk
The base of zaaluk is mashed eggplants, tomatoes, and garlic. It is spiced with cumin, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne for some heat. Use it as a spread or dip before moving onto the main course of your meal.
Bastilla
Bastilla is among the most delicious Moroccan foods. This Moroccan dish, which has Andalusian origins, is usually prepared for large events or parties. It can be made with chicken, seafood, or even pigeon.
Maakouda
Maakouda is one of the most popular Moroccan foods. It is also one of Morocco’s safest street foods. You can find this snack practically anywhere, but maakouda also comes in a quiche-like form that can be enjoyed as a meal. This version is baked or cooked in a tagine rather than fried and includes eggs. Both variations pair nicely with ketchup or a spicy sauce.
Tangia
Most famous in Marrakech, tangia is yet another Moroccan dish named for its cooking vessel.
Tangia, also known as the bachelor’s dish, was originally cooked by unmarried working men who would gather to prepare this easy, meat-based meal. Tangia is prepared with bone-in chunks of meat or chicken flavoured with garlic, onions, preserved lemon, and cumin.
Traditionally, bachelors would assemble the ingredients in an urn-like pot and bury the tangia in hot ashes to cook slowly while they went off to work.
Another traditional method included bringing the pot of ingredients to the local hammam, where the tangia was cooked overnight over hot coals and picked up the next morning. The slow process tenderizes the meat so that it falls easily off the bone.
Rfissa
Rfissa is a traditional dish of chicken, onions, lentils, and msemen that was curated to replenish women after childbirth. It’s seasoned with saffron, parsley, coriander, ras el hanout, ginger, garlic, turmeric, salt, and pepper.
The secret ingredient is fenugreek, a medicinal herb that supposedly boosts milk production in new mothers. Fenugreek is also lauded as a natural way to treat inflammation, balance blood sugar levels, and improve male libido.
Sardines
Morocco’s Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts are famous for their bountiful varieties of fresh seafood. Seeing as Morocco is the world’s top producer of canned sardines, it comes as no surprise that sardine-based dishes are particularly famous in the Kingdom.
Most Moroccans, of course, prefer fresh sardines over canned. You’ll find endless options in the coastal cities of Essaouira, Agadir, Tetouan, Tangier, and Rabat.
Amazigh flatbread (madfouna)
According to a BBC Travel feature, this ancient “Moroccan pizza” originated in the Erg Chebbi region of the Sahara Desert. To make the pizza, Saharan bread dough is kneaded, rolled into a round shape, stretched over fillings, pinched closed, and baked. Imazighen originally baked the meal in a fire pit in the sand or in a mud oven, but now it is also cooked in large fire ovens.
Fillings include beef, lamb, chicken, eggs, nuts, onions, and garlic. The quintessential Moroccan herbs and spices—including cumin, paprika, turmeric, ginger, and parsley–add even more flavour to the fillings. The flatbreads tend to be customizable, so there is an option for everyone.
Amlou
Amlou is a deliciously sweet mixture of argan oil, honey, and almonds. The taste and texture are reminiscent of peanut butter due to the strong nutty flavor of argan oil. During Eid, kouraine is made from the slaughtered animal’s legs and prepared with chickpeas, saffron, turmeric, paprika, ginger, cumin, and garlic. Raisins are sometimes added for a touch of sweetness.
