One thing you need to know about Moroccan dishes is that they begin with at least seven cooked vegetable salads to scoop up with bread. Zalouk (also spelt Zaalouk) is a common side dish and is typically served with crusty bread, seasoned with garlic, paprika, cumin and a little chilli powder. The dish can include eggplant, green peppers and tomatoes, sweet carrots or courgette purée, and a dish of local olives alongside.
Restaurants: Nur, Fes | Bazaar Cafe, Marrakech
4. Fish chermoula
Picture: David Horn / Flickr
Chermoula is a North African spice blend which can be sprinkled onto fish, chicken and lamb before cooking to give it a spicy Moroccan flavour. Often times you’ll see it as a dipping sauce too. With its long Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, the country boasts a rich array of fish dishes, and fish chermoula is an absolute treat. Depending on the chermoula mix, you’ll sometimes get flavours of onion, coriander, chilli peppers, or saffron.
Restaurants: Nur, Fes | Bazaar Cafe, Marrakech
5. Harira
Picture: Demuths Cookery School / Flickr
Harira is most popularly eaten during the month of Ramadan when the fast is broken at sunset each day. The steaming bowl of soup is rich in tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas and lamb. Often times garnished with a squeeze of lemon juice. You can try it with a sweet pretzel stick called chebakkiya. The dish is also often served as a starter, so it can be enjoyed all year round.
Restaurants: Cafe Caravan, Marrakech | The Ruined Garden, Fes
