Moroccan Cuisine

Moroccan cuisine draws on Berber culinary tradition, Arab and Andalusian influence carried by the medieval spread of Islam and refugees from Iberia, and later Ottoman and French contact. Its defining dish is the tagine, a slow-cooked stew named for the conical earthenware vessel it is cooked in, typically combining meat or fish with fruit, vegetables and a distinctive blend of spices. Couscous, steamed semolina wheat, is a staple eaten across the Maghreb and traditionally served on Fridays. Moroccan cooking is known for balancing sweet and savory in the same dish, using dried fruit, honey and warming spices such as cinnamon and saffron alongside meat, and for its elaborate spice blend ras el hanout. Mint tea, poured from a height into small glasses, is central to hospitality.