0 Mmm Good - Moroccan Food and Cuisine

Like Morocco, its cuisine is rich in flavor, color, and aromas. The secret lies in the fact that most of Morocco's produce is organic, free from pesticides, and not genetically modified. In today's world where you can enjoy a banana from Ecuador, a peach from Georgia, and a Kiwi from, well, New Zealand, all in one sitting. Morocco's locally grown ingredients make its cuisine stand out as fresh vegetables and even its meats do not travel far before they are steaming on your plate.

Unlike any other country, you'll find seasonality to affect what is and is not available at a certain time of year. The early summer to late spring months proffer the best fruit, including strawberries, cherries, peaches, watermelon, and especially tomatoes. By the time fall rolls around, drier fruits and vegetables are ready to enjoy, including figs, pomegranates, and grapes (which are also grown in Meknes for the country's bountiful wine exports). All year will almonds, walnuts, bananas, squash, pumpkin, fava beans, green beans, lentils, eggplant, peppers, and lemons are available. Olives and olive oil can be had throughout the year; as an aside, Moroccan olive oil is a bit bitterer than the smoother stuff you'll find in Spain or Italy.

The Romans, Spanish, and French have left behind dishes that have been adopted and adapted by Moroccans. One such item you will assuredly encounter on the menus of Morocco is couscous. Couscous is the national Moroccan dish and includes an abundance of spices, meat, and vegetables that are all steamed together. If eaten at a family's home, don't be surprised if they dig in with their hands. Common is the practice to form couscous balls and pop them into one's mouth like a gumball. As common is the practice of those eating near you to keep piling food in your eating section (the triangular area directly in front of you), so you'll keep eating. Be forewarned to pace yourself accordingly.

Another superb dish in Morocco, but one that is not made but on special occasions is pastilla, often called bstilla. Pastilla is a type of pie (that at one time typically contained pigeon) containing chicken, fish, or meat. This is all minced together with parsley, hardboiled eggs, crushed almonds, and honey. Cinnamon and powdered sugar tops the dish, which is wrapped in crisp phyllo dough.

Finally, one of Morocco's most common culinary delights is the tagine. A tagine is a both the pot the meal is cooked in and what the meal, in and of itself, is referring. Cooked over a bed of coals, a tagine is a conical pottery usually containing meat (lamb, beef, or goat, or just vegetables for vegetarians) cooked with an array of local vegetables. All types of tagines are available and a certain region might have its dedicated dish. Some of the best tagines are to be had in the southern regions of Morocco, as well as in the mountains. Restaurants will often have a tagine on the menu and roadside towns will always have a few cooking and ready for your arrival. The best tagines, however, are balanced in their spices and be a base of oil and other ingredients covered in paprika, onions, cumin, and garlic. Fancier restaurants may not match the most general cuisine you'll eat in a Moroccan family's home, but will often come up with interesting mixes to tempt the palate, including lamb and prune, sweet tomato and almonds, or the regular chicken and olive thoroughfare. An egg and kefta (hamburger meat) tagine is common as well.

No matter your preference, eating Moroccan cuisine is a gourmand's paradise in each direction you turn. From Marrakesh to Fez, down to the Sahara Desert and over the High Atlas Mountains, Morocco is a true delight for those seeking mouthwatering adventures.

Thomas Hollowell is the author of Allah's Garden: A True Story of a Forgotten War in the Sahara Desert of Morocco, a bestseller in Morocco books at Amazon.com. Visit for your chance to win a trip for two to Morocco. Thomas is also the co-founder of Journey Beyond Travel LLC, an in-country Morocco tour operator arranging affordable private Morocco tours for individuals, groups, and families.