Moroccan culture, food and traditions

What to eat, how to behave, which festivals to plan for and the first words of Darija to learn.

Food: what to eat

Tagine: slow-cooked stew named after its conical clay pot — chicken with preserved lemon and olives, lamb with prunes, or vegetables.
Couscous: traditionally eaten on Fridays with family.
Pastilla: sweet and savoury pie, a speciality of Fes.
Harira: tomato, lentil and chickpea soup, served to break the fast during Ramadan.
Tanjia: Marrakech speciality of meat slow-cooked in a clay jar in the embers of a hammam furnace.
Rfissa, msemen, baghrir: comfort dishes and pancakes for breakfast.
Mint tea: green tea with fresh mint, the symbol of Moroccan hospitality.

Greet with "Salam alaykum"; eat and pass food with the right hand.
If you are invited to a home, take off your shoes if your hosts do, and bring pastries or fruit.
Bargaining is normal in souks: start well below the first price and stay friendly.
Public displays of affection are best kept discreet.

Festival	Where	When
Gnaoua and World Music Festival	Essaouira	June
Fes Festival of World Sacred Music	Fes	Spring
Mawazine	Rabat	Late spring / early summer
Rose Festival	Kelaat M’Gouna	May
Imilchil Marriage Festival	Imilchil, High Atlas	Late summer
Marrakech International Film Festival	Marrakech	Late autumn
Moussem of Tan-Tan (UNESCO intangible heritage)	Tan-Tan	Varies

Dates change every year: check the official festival websites before planning.

Morocco has nine UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the medinas of Fes, Marrakech, Meknes, Tetouan and Essaouira, Aït Ben Haddou, Volubilis, Rabat and Mazagan (El Jadida).
Crafts: zellige mosaics, carved cedar and stucco, tadelakt plaster, Berber carpets, leather, brass lanterns and pottery.
Argan — the oil and the know-how around it — and Gnawa music are recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.