The top taste sensations of Morocco

A sensory treat at all levels, Morocco certainly doesn’t disappoint when it comes to taste. With a unique cuisine that is recognised around the world, eating is always an experience to savour. 

Walk through the souks of the medina and you’ll be treated to a range of mouth-watering scents, from sizzling keftas on cookfires to the exotic aromas emanating from the stalls of spice merchants. With so much choice it can be hard to know where to point your plate first, so here are five foods that will have your taste buds down on their knees thanking you.

Tagine 

 Perhaps the most iconic of Moroccan dishes, tagines are cooked in the instantly recognisable cone-shaped clay pots. These slow cooked stews contain sliced meats, often lamb but can quite easily be fish or poultry, and a variety of vegetables. It can be seasoned with a selection of spices, nuts and dried fruit. These are usually eaten with pieces of fresh cooked bread; literally, you scoop up the savoury goodness with hand cut slices of crusty loaf. 

Mechoui

Forget pulled pork, this is how you prepare meat. The labour intensive process begins with a whole lamb being carefully rubbed down with a mix of exotic spices before being slow-roasted through the night in a deep oven. When it’s finished cooking the meat is pale and soft with just the right amount of give beneath its golden crackling.  

Pastillas

 The pastilla is originally a Fez delicacy, but you can find it on sale across Morocco now. Break through the dome of flaky golden pastry called warka with your fork and discover the delicious steaming spicy meat beneath. Traditionally this is pigeon, though increasingly chicken is being used. They are often topped with ground almonds and cinnamon to give it the sweet and savoury flavours that Moroccans love. It sounds a bit like a pie, but it’s got similarities with baklava too. The taste is out of this world. 

Harira

 A classic staple of the Moroccan diet, this is a soup made from flour, lentils, tomato and chickpeas, with other vegetables, meat and rice thrown in as optional extras depending on the chef’s preferences. It’s usually served as a starter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a bowl as a meal in itself. It’s especially popular during Ramadan, used to break the day-long fast. Super soup! 

Sfenj

These sticky little pieces of taste heaven are similar to ring doughnuts and are made from unsweetened, leavened dough. Once they have risen they are shaped and then deep-fried until they are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Either served plain or with a liberal dusting of sugar, Moroccans usually eat them at breakfast or teatime. We recommend both, just to be on the safe side.

You can fly direct to Marrakech from Bristol Airport in less than three and a half hours, every Tuesday and Friday, with flights from under £35 each way.

More information: http://www.muchmorocco.com/